to Musko to behold the Majesty of our presence to which end we have commanded Post-horses to be prepared for you by the way and when you are come to Musko you shall Address your self to our Secretary Offenasis Ulassou Written in our Majesties Camp at Thula in the year of the World 7113. Sir Thomas Smith having received his dispatches from Boris and being in his way homeward was overtaken at Archangel by an Express from Demetrius with the following Instructions and Letters Demetrius Evanowich great Lord Emperour and Great Duke of all Russia hath commanded Savarela to repair to Volgoda and then to the new Castle of Archangel or any other place where he may overtake the English Embassador Sir Thomas Smith When he hath overtaken him Savarela shall send his Interpreter Richard Finch to the Lord Embassador with notice that the Great Lord Emperour and Great Duke Demetrius Evanowich Sole Commander of Russia hath sent one of his Courtiers unto him touching his Majesties Affairs and after about two hours respite Gavarela shall himself go to the said Embassador and deliver unto him his Majesties Message as followeth DEmetrius Evanowich Great Lord Emperour and Great Duke of all Russia and many other Kingdoms Lord and Commander hath commanded thee Thomas Smith English Embassador to certisie unto James King of England Scotland France and Ireland that We are by the just Judgment of God and his strong Power come and succeeded into the place of our Father and Predecessors as also the Throne of the Great and Famous Kingdom of Uladomir Musko and the Empire of Casan Astracan and Sibiria and of all the Kingdoms of Russia Moreover we calling to minde the Correspondence Love and Amity which was between our Father the Great Lord Emperour and Great Duke Evan Vasilowich of Famous Memory as also our Brother the Great Lord Emperour and Great Duke Fedro Evanowich Sole Commander of Russia and their Sister Queen Elizabeth Queen of England In the like manner we do purpose to have Entercourse and to be in love with your Lord King James and more than hath been in former times and in token of our said Love and Amity we do intend to favour all his Subjects within our Dominions and to give unto them more liberty than they have had heretofore And you his Embassador we have commanded to be dispatched without any delay or hinderance Therefore we would have you to notifie to your Lord King James our Majesties love and as soon as God shall grant the time of our Coronation to be finisht and that we are Crowned with the Imperial Crown of our Predecessors according to our manner and worthiness then we the Great Lord Emperour and Great Duke Demetrius Evanowich of all Russia Sole Commander will send our Messengers to salute each other according to the former manner As for those Letters which Boris Gedanow sent by you we would have you deliver them back again to our Courtier Gaverela and after the delivering of our Speeches to return him to the Emperour Vnderwritten by the Chancellour Offanafie Evanowich Ulascan These and some other publike affairs being dispatched Demetrius judged it very conducible to his establishment to have the Solemnities of his Coronation speedily performed the Celebration of which were therefore appointed to succeed upon the Kalends of September for 't is then that the Russians do as the Jews of old did begin their year But Demetrius impatient of delay in that material Circumstance would have it done upon the 29th of July after his enterance into Musko upon which day he was by the Patriarch crowned with the Imperial Diadem of those Kingdoms after which he caused the Corps of Boris to be taken up out of that Sepulchre wherein he had been interred being that belonging to the Royal Family and buried without Solemnity in a private Church-yard without the Town Before the Coronation 't was judged advisable that the supposed Mother of Demetrius who had for many years been shut up in a Monastery by Boris should be sent for to Court as a reputation to the Solemnity which by Demetrius his art was improved to the utmost for upon advertisement of her being within a League of the Town he went forth in Person to meet her and being come within view of her Coach he alighted from his horse and making his Addresses to her with all imaginable Humility she received him with great demonstrations of Affection She would have come out of her Coach but he would not permit it neither could she prevail with him to come up to her protesting that as she had given him life so would he pay it her back in his Obedience that the Crown of Russia was hers and should be only born by him the better to execute her Orders And with these and some other obliging entertainments of this kind she was conducted to the Palace Demetrius following the Coach on foot bare-headed till the Empress stopping declared that unless he would get up on horse-back she would accompany him on foot Being come to the Palace she was conducted into the usual habitation of such who were Widdows of the Royal Family where being alighted she embraced Demetrius with great passion acknowledging him before all the Lords and Courtiers present to be her Son begot by Duke John Basilius evidencing the same by many particular marks and tokens which gave great credit to the Impostor if it were one His stature and proportion had a resemblance to that of the true Demetrius his hair was black and hard like his with a mark upon his nose and the right hand as the Prince also had And though the Lady might well remember the features of her own Demetrius whom she had lost but seven years before and that this in reality was not he yet she wisely dissembled the matter it being grown too far for her to contradict and besides that she lay under a double obligation to him having not only enjoyed her liberty but the satisfaction of an entire Revenge by his means upon Boris and his Family However it was she treated him with all the demonstrations of a warm and sincere Affection while he honoured and reverenced her with a more shan filial Duty so great a tenderness appearing in their caresses that their Tears of Joy were attended with a deluge from the eyes of the Lords and all others upon the â—lace And to be thus owned by the Empress in the face of the whole World gave a greater confirmation to the reality of his Birth than all his other Testimoies together there being now no room â—eft to question his Extraction confirmed by the open declaration of her that bare him 'T is to this day a controverted point in Russia whether he was an Impostor or not Common fame since his misfortune seems to render him such and Petreius in his Chronicle of Muskovy hath a Jury of Arguments to confirm it But his Testimony is not to be believed but with caution he being employed in
Auxiliaries giving out that he would plant the Kingdom with Colonies of strange Nations This fill'd the people with dreadful Apprehensions of his Tyranny and imbarked the Lords in the same prejudice to find themselves neglected in the administration of Justice and the same managed according to the appetite and fancie of the Poles To all this he gave the Jesuites publike Churches and dwellings and to all of that Perswasion the free Exercise of it He had indeed himself been brought up in the Romish Religion which might in some measure have warranted the Profession of it in his own Chappel though Henry the Fourth of France dispensed with his former Faith upon his accession to the Crown endeavouring thereby to cure the Jealousies of the people who are no way so fervently engaged as upon the the account of Conscience But Demetrius his publike despising of the Rites of the Greek Church and his so open endeavours to introduce that of the Latins abhorr'd by the people gave the first shock to their affections and then his Habit Garb and Gesture being wholly Forein the Commonalty who see but the outside and make their judgment by that conclude his Inclinations were so too But what wrought most effectually upon those that understood best was to discern a lightness in his Behaviour bearing no proportion with so exalted a Quality as he bore in the world little Gravity and less Judgment in the manage of publike Affairs measuring concerns of a different nature by the same Standard From this short-sightedness being but newly invested in the Royalty he denounced War against the Swedes and with the same vanity writ to King Sigismund that he would arm against the Turk and Tartar before he knew the Constitution of his own Empire or by what establishment an Army was to be maintained Demetrius being Crowned Emperour his next care was the matter of his Amours those Passions were still alive in him and he had so much of the Constancie of a Lover as to invite Marina to the participation of his Greatness Upon this consideration he dispatcht a splendid Embassy into Poland with a Present of the Jewels of the Crown of an inestimable value The Palatine of Sandomiria had indeed deserved well from him but the Nobility of Muscovy abhorred the thought that the Treasure of their Empire should be havocked away upon that Negotiation which no way quadrated with their Appetite however this concern fell out so far luckily for Demetrius that it respited his fate for the Conspirators having laid their designe to be put in execution some days after the dispatch of this Embassie held it advisable to delay it till that was over lest by quitting their hands of their Great Duke the Jewels of the Crown should fall short and stay in Sandomiria They therefore directed the Embassadors who were also privy to the Confederacie to make secret Articles with George Mniseck the Palatine Marina's Father before they made their Present of the Jewels to her that she should bring them with her for her Ornament to Musko There was at the same time dispatched an Embassador to the King and Commonwealth of Poland Athanasius Rosclovius the Treasurer was made choice of for this Employment who being admitted into the Kings presence did in the Name of his Master the Great Duke present his very hearty acknowledgments to the King and Nobility for the seasonable Aids he had received from them declaring that next under God he derived all his Enjoyments from their Succours and confessed that had he not been vigorously owned by them he must have wandered about the world the pity of his Friends and the scorn of his Enemies whilst an Usurper possessed the Throne due to his Birth and in which by their kindness he was seated in perfect peace And as a Testimony of his further Gratitude he had sent his Embassadors to establish a perfect Friendship and League Offensive and Defensive betwixt the Crowns which was to extend to all the Enemies of either Nation especially the common Enemy the Turk who by the advantage of misunderstandings amongst Christian Princes got ground upon Europe And that he might be the more naturally linked to the Kingdom of Poland than the Ceremony of a League could extend to he desired the Kings permission to Marry a Lady his Vassal the Palatine of Sandomiria's Daughter His Obligations to her Father being of that nature that he knew not by what other means to contrive him a proportionable Recompence He had not only owned and received him in his Exile but engaged his Person and his Fortunes in his Quarrel and he could not stand acquitted to himself if he did not communicate to the Daughter of those Enjoyments which were derived to him by the kindness and Courage of her Father The King having fully heard the Embassador did with much Civility acknowledge the respect of the Great Duke in that Address that he wished him all happiness and did heartily congratulate the success of his Arms in the acquirement of his just rights Adding further that he did highly commend the pious resentments he was pleased to have for the sufferings of the oppressed Christians That he would willingly enter into a League with him against the Infidels but that without the consent of the Senate and Nobility of the Kingdom he could determine nothing of that Nature As to the Proposal of his Marrying the Lady Marina he should not only have his consent but his prayers also that God would render that Marriage auspicious to both Kingdoms by propagating between them a League of everlasting Friendship The King having expressed himself to this effect the Nuptials were within eight days after celebrated at Cracow in the presence of the King and a great number of the Nobility of Poland who were invited to this Royal Solemnity His Majesty delivered the Bride with his own hand to the Embassador exhorting that now she was to be transplanted into another Nation she should retain the Memory of her own Country and her Fathers house That she should do all good Offices betwixt both Nations and above all things that she should adhere to the Catholike Religion wherein she had been educated The Church-Ceremonies being finished his Majesty entertained the Bride at a Royal Feast Prince Vladislaus his Son the Princess of Sweden his Sister the Palatine of Sandomiria the Embassadors of Persia with all the Publike Ministers then at Court were invited to it where at the last Course those Jewels sent by Demetrius to his Marina and the Palatine her Father to the value of two hundred thousand Ducats were served up to the Table instead of Fruit which in so Illustrious an Assembly spoke the Magnificence of the Russ and satisfaction of the Bride to be courted at so valuable a Rate About the end of Jan. 1607 the Bride accompanied with the Embassadors of either Nation the Palatine her Father and Duke Constantine Wisnioweski and many other Persons of Quality and a splendid Train having
of the Kingdom their Duke must abjure the Romish Profession and declare himself for the Greek Rites The King having received their Message and not ignorant of the wiliness and reserves of that subtle Nation was not wanting in a return sutable to the occasion He told them that he did receive this Honour conferred upon his Son with great satisfaction which should oblige him at all times to serve their Country with his best Aids and Counsels And as to the Treaty relating to its particulars he did purpose to give Zolkievius then upon the place full Instructions for the compleating of it at their own homes The Embassadors after this Answer and having been sumptuously feasted by the Prime Officers of the Court with great and mutual professions of kindnesses in so much as they seemed to be but one people were dismissed The King having by this fully weighed the state of his Affairs gathered to himself many reasons not to believe the reality of the Moscovites for else why did they elect his Son and not him but that they should be able when he had withdrawn his Forces out of their Land to practise upon the unexperience of his Son by reason of his youth and to justle him out of the Throne to which they had raised him out of necessity not choice And on the other side if the King should forbear to send him to them till he were of Age they would take occasion from this delay to transfer their Suffrage upon another He took a further Umbrage of their Designes from the refusal of the Garrison of Smolensko to surrender their City in the name of Prince Vladislaws though he were declared and proclaimed Great Duke with the usual Ceremonies their excuse was that they could not own him by so publike an Act till he had been received in the Capital City Crowned and Sworn to the maintenance of their Laws and their Protection Zolkievius had many ill-willers about the King who were not wanting to cherish these apprehensions of prejudice contracted by him against the Russians and having gained the Kings ear they instill'd new Counsels into him That this Election of his Son was an affront and an imposing upon his Majesty instead of receiving Law from him That he had by his Arms reduced them to those distresses that they must suddenly lay themselves that they must suddenly lay themselves at his feet whereas now they addressed to him by their Embassadors with Conditions not only inglorious but inconsistent with the state of his Affairs and impossible for him to subscribe to And that upon the reducing of Smolensko he might consider himself as a Conqueror and Rule that false People by such Laws as he should judge sutable to his Honour and Safety But there were others of his Council that advised the preserving of that Faith which Zolkievius had Sworn to them in his Name and by his Approbation That by confirming of that he would in one day render himself Master of a vast Empire which it might cost him some years besides a great expence of Blood and Treasure to reduce And they being an obstinate people might fall upon new Counsels and close with Demetrius whose Title would give him a trouble to resist as well upon the account of Reason as the power of his Arms. For it was upon the pretence of aiding Demetrius that he invaded their land who being restored to the Throne the King could have no more a fair colour to stay in it That his Army might by this means be paid all their Arrears as the Souldiers of Vladislaws the Great Duke out of the Treasures of Russia whereas the Kingdom of Poland if it fell to them to pay it would grow uneasie under so intolerable a burthen That the practises of the Russians might easily be eluded by seating Vladislaws upon the Throne with an able Council about him who should immediately provide pay for the Army which they would not refuse upon his first reception and while it lay in their Chief City And as to the Articles they might be well enough evaded and delayed while more Recruits were coming out of Poland But the King's mind being prepossessed as if carried on by an irresistible Fate adhered to the more violent Counsels of such as blew him up with a Punctilio of Honour not to rise from before Smolensko before he had reduced it having cost him already above a years Siege and was now upon the point of a rendition or being forced The King had raised a Battery against it but did not prosecute his matters with that quickness but that they within had time to make a deep Ditch and to raise new Ramparts in opposition to the Battery after which the Cannon began to play which indeed laid flat a great part of the Wall with two Flankers that stood next it the Assault was made but in vain they being repulsed with great loss The Russians in the mean time clamoured at this breach of the Treaty which had been celebrated with the Solemnity of an Oath and that contrary to the Law of Nations their Embassadors were detained Which the King justified upon this Reason that they refused to give order to the Governour of Smolensko to surrender the Town in their Great Dukes Name and which they excused as not within their Instructions The Affairs of Russia hung thus in suspence for some time the people not daring to do more than mutter while Zolkievius and his Army lay enquartered in their Chief City Demetrius also began to look up again having sheltered himself in Caluga while he was reinforcing his Party which was much countenanced by the return of Zarucki and Prince Kazimowski to him whose reception by King Sigismund bearing no proportion with what they proposed to themselves left him and returned again to the Service of their old Lord. But Zolkievius disdaining to be thus treated by the King contracted violent discontents in so much that taking the pretence of going to fetch the Prince to Musko he left the Army and passing by Smolensko where he but saluted the King he retired into Poland The Russians after the Generals departure understanding that the King had refused sending his Son at his intercession that the captive Zuiskius's together with their Embassadors were sent away Prisoners into Poland and that the King took upon him the Administration of the Affairs of the Empire putting new Officers into all the great places and refusing to own them as a State prepared for a Revolt to which the death of Demetrius did very effectually contribute He had a little before upon some apprehensions of infidelity in Kasimouski against him caused him to be thrown into the River Occa and drowned there which the Tartars of his Guard so far resented as to study a revenge He was of late time used to divert his Melancholy with drinking drowning at least steeping his cares in liquor and having been one day a hunting he retired himself with some of his particular
that that Impostor might be forthwith delivered into the Great Duke his Masters hands whom he would unmask and render him to the World in his native Complexion a mean Creature set up by the Malice of a discontented Priest And then concluded that in case the King and Kingdom of Poland shall decline those equitable demands they would create to them an Enemy one of the greatest Princes of the World And thus having sprinkled his desires with a mixture of some Threats he added Rich Presents which were distributed amongst the Ministers of State and indeed most of those in Credit about the King with an open hand so that there were very few but tasted of Muskovitish Bounty But all this state and charge amounted to nothing the Interest of the Jesuites added to the Authority of the Pope had rendered the King and his Council deaf to the applications of the Embassador It was therefore resolved that Demetrius should be assisted with fresh supplies in order to his Restauration which was considered as the only Basis upon which to lay the Foundation of a perpetual League between both Crowns and the only means to root out that Schism in Religion which hitherto had fomented their Quarrels their affection being swayed by their faith These Resolutions were kept secret as the Arcana Imperii for they did not judge it fit to come to an open Rupture till they saw what was like to be the Success of Demetrius his Arms. Their Answer therefore was that the King and State of Poland knew nothing at least took no notice of what was done in Muskovy and that those Tumults raised by Demetrius a Muskovian born and Aided by Muskovians or any other Voluntiers engaged in his designes did not at all infringe or so much as trench upon the League which they should be always ready to observe towards that Crown and Empire The Embassador being dismissed with this general Answer without effecting what he came for In the mean time the Armies in Muskovy were drawn within sight of each other equal in hopes and desires though not in numbers Demetrius upon the Enemies advance raised his Siege and having chosen his ground with respect to the number of his men wherein he was inferiour to Boris he was not without some hopes that some part of the Enemies Army would upon the closing come over to him having held an intelligence with some of their Officers to that purpose But there appearing so formidable a power of the Muskovites and but a handful of men with Demetrius those who had made him a promise of coming over to his side judged it more adviseable to adhere to their own The Armies were now drawn so neer each other that it was impossible to part without Engaging Demetrius therefore and the Palatine judging their safety depended upon their Courage received the Enemies Charge as men resolved to conquer or lie by it not onely sustaining but resisting the fury of their Enemies The Success was a while disputed with doubtful hopes till at last the Victory began to declare it self for the more numerous Force which powring in fresh supplies the Polonian was forced to shrink under the impressions of the multitude after they had given testimonies of great resolutions having fought it out with so great a pertinacie that the Victory cost Boris the loss of many of his men His General received several wounds and it was with much difficulty that the Enemy quitted the ground at last they were disordered and broke saving themselves by flight Demetrius having rallied some few of his Troops retreated to Ribscum and the Palatine returned into Poland to raise new Forces having left 8000 of his men upon the place with all his Cannon and Baggage The tidings of this Victory was carried to Boris the Great Duke by Bosmanno the Governour of Novogrod whom Boris received as his better Angel and the General having rendered him with an advantagious character caused him to be presented with a great Bason of pure Gold filled with Ducats of the same Mettal and all the Officers of the Army with Medals and increase of Pay The Borisians shewed more Courage in gaining this Victory than Conduct in improving it to their advantage wasting their time at the Siege of Krom whilst the Enemy had room without interruption to gather together their scattered Troops who had they been chased while their fears had been upon them must necessarily have fallen into the hands of the Conquerours and then the Garrisons had followed their Fate But the Great Dukes Army being fate down bâ—â—â—re Krom the place was defended againse them with so great a Courage that they despaired of taking it whereupon the greater part of the Army being reinforced with fresh men marched towards Ribscum in order to the scattering of Demetrius his Forces and the interrupting of his Levies He upon this defeat found the experience of those friends which had been made with his Successes not himself Many who had run in upon the fame of his prosperous March ran now from him as from a falling house that would in its own ruine involve those within it Yet was not he wanting to himself having his Courage cherished by two Cistercian Monks and two Jesuites who attended him especially the latter in all his adventures These inflame him to a perseverance with promises that the Issue would be Crowned with Success to him and confusion to his Enemies In the mean time the Borisians advanced towards him upon intelligence whereof he sent out his Horse to face them while he was drawing up his Foot Who had seen the great disproportion between both Armies the one of a vast Body of Horse and Foot fleshed with Victory a great Train of Artillery Carriages the other not exceeding 5000 effective men those abounding with wants most of them Raw and Undisciplined and the rest the remnant of a defeated Army might reasonably have guessed at the Success But the power of Fortune or rather of Providence in this juncture appeared beyond humane expectation Demetrius was in a strange Country no Counsel about him unknowing in Discipline preposterous in his Orders and not so much as a temptation left him to hope his Horse being advanced were opposed by those of the Enemy of whom upon the Charge they killed about 1000 which discouraging the rest they shrink and being pressed on by the Demetrians had not time to rally but were in disorder forced upon their own Foot breaking their Ranks and doing for Demetrius what his Army could never have effected He pursuing his Success had the slaughter of that great Body which not being able to make Head were cut down without any resistance And thus what began but in a light Skirmish ended in an intire Victory The Demetrians laden with spoils the whole Camp and Train falling into their hands returned in Triumph to Puttiwol where the Fame of this signal Victory spreading it self to their advantage Five good Towns with their Forts rendered
him their Submissions whereby he was furnisht with Ammunition and all other provisions for War A while after two other places Jalka and Leptina rendered themselves and the great Province of Seneria made one entire present of all t is strengths at once Others also hasting in to be first or with the first acknowledge the Conquerour who received their Addresses with great moderation upon so unexpected a Success His great care was the relieving of Krom besieged by the rest of the Enemies Army but having by a Spy which came from out the Town understood the place was in no danger and that it might defend it self for some longer time against the Assailants He diverted his thoughts from relieving it till he had improved his late Victory by enlarging his Quarters He continued at Puttiwol to reinforce his strengths and to receive the Submissions of several places and persons which daily rendred themselves with recruits to his small Army While he was thus busied Boris was not less active in his Levies repairing the Breaches in his scattered Regiments and doing what ever else might be needful to oppose the impressions of a great Enemy He had likewise his Emissaries and Agitatours in the Army of Demetrius who endeavoured to debauch the Cossacks and such other of the Russians as had listed themselves in his service tempting them by excessive rewards and honours to seize upon the Impostor as they Stiled him and to present him to the Emperour as a Peace-offering for their Rebellion And to inforce this the better they had with them a thundering Mandate from the Patriarch as the Vicar of Christ and Head of the true Church These Arguments swayed little specially those grounded upon point of Conscience The people had shook hands with that before only they kept so much of the pretence of it as might serve to justifie their present swerving from the present Government Some of these Agents were seized upon and being exposed to the Rack confessed the whole designe upon the person of Demetrius who being to gain upon the affections of the people by his clemencie dismissed them despising out of a generous carelesness of his own particular to revenge his own injury upon so ignoble Instruments He writ also his Letters to the Patriarch to mind him of the duty of his Office that he should not fix the Seal of Religion to justifie an usurpation founded upon murther and perfidy but rather dispose the people to yield to the Son of John Basilius their undoubted Sovereign that Obedience and Submission which was due to him from them by the Laws of God and the Empire 'T is said he also sent a Message to Boris advising him from those ungenerous practises of Assassinations and Libels and that if he would give testimony of his repentance by renouncing the unjust possession of the Throne to which he had ascended by a continued Series of unworthy and wicked practices He should be permitted to retire into what part of the Empire he pleased with an entire indemnity for what was past and all reasonable caution and security for his future safety But the Great Duke refused these overtures with scorn and indignation and casting about how he might root out this growing evil he judged it advisable to frame a diversion upon his forein supplies wisely considering that if he could prevent those the Rebellion in his own Kingdom would in time extinguish for want of fuel to sustain it and that those of his Subjects who were deaf to his invitations during the prosperity of Demetrius whilst he was owned and asserted by forain Princes would when he were left to his own fortunes fall from him with no less fervor than they had run in to him In order to this he treats with the Danish and Swedish Embassadors then in his Court by what means King Sigismond might be best incommodated in his own Dominions Designes were accordingly laid to imbroy him at his own doors and to kindle a fire in Poland which might oblige him to call home his own Subjects for the quenchinâ— of it But amidst all his contrivance of State formed with prudence agreeable to the occasion he was seized with a violent tearing in his Bowels a deluge of Blood flowing out of his Mouth Ears and Nostrils with which after some moments his enraged Soul issued out leaving the Body a horrid Spectacle to all about him and a Monument of the instability of humane greatness Some say he died of an Apoplexie others the fancied Fate of most Princes that he was poysoned Demetrius having by a more delicate contrivance subdued him at his own Weapon However it was he expired in the Month of April 1605. having lived Emperour the space of seven years during which time his Government was adorned with all imaginable moderation and justice as if to compensate the people for the murther of his Prince and to make good the sufficiencie of their choyce in his ability for administration And if we believe him who writ his Panegyrick he is to be justly reckoned amongst the best of the Russian Dukes SECT II. Fedro succeedeth his Father in the Empire His Army revolts His Partisans and Palace are destroyed by the madness of the people He and his Mother and Sister being reserved for Demetrius his Triumph poyson themselves Demetrius is received and crowned Emperour of Muskovy He marries the Lady Marina and in the height of joy and grandeur is miserably massacred Zuiski the chief of the Conspirators and prime Actor in this Tragedy is elected Emperour of Russia THe Great Duke being thus violently snatcht away in the midst of all his designes and in the strength of his Age the Nobility and chief Officers of the Army were astonished with the surprise of it and many of them for it is a superstitious Nation reflecting upon this extraordinary adventure as a clear decision of Providence with relation to the right of Demetrius began to entertain inclinations in his favour and certainly had not the people interposed they would have manifested the same by declaring him the Son of John Basilius But the people being alarm'd with the Death of Boris came to Court in swarms and in a Tumultuary way as if prompted by some irresistible impulse they placed his Son Fedro upon the Throne of his Father declaring his Mother Regent in his minority and bearing all before them like a torrent they sorced all the Nobility to swear Fealty to them and to ratifie the election by an Act of State grounded upon a mixture of descent and the suffrage of the people The Army as if swayed by the same instinct did by their example salute him Emperour and by their Deputies thereto appointed sent him a Declaration wherein they promised to adhere to him with the exposing of their lives and fortunes and to stand by him not only in repelling the common Enemy but also in suppressing the Rebellion raised by his own Subjects The State of Affairs being thus established
of the like upon his Posterity We have in this a lively Description of the peoples temper unconstant in their resolution violent in their love and equally so in their hate They in this juncture cast off all their gratitude to the memory of Boris their prosperity under his calm and wise Government his impartial distribution of Justice the many publike Buildings by him erected for the splendor and use of their City They had no remembrance left of his great industry and charges in providing Food for them in that more than Samaritan Famine which happened in his Reign in the years 1601 1602 1603. or finally no reflection upon the advantageous peace and repose which he had procured for them with their Neighbour-Princes But though they might be suspected to bury the memory of those things in the Grave of Boris yet the wonder was that they should so suddenly destroy their own Act in destroying him whom they had placed upon the Throne but two months before as a Soveraign of their own choyce contrary to the designe of the Nobility whom they forced to swear fealty to him vowing to live and dye in the defence of him his Mother and Sister now rendered the unhappy Objects of their boundless fury The Borisians being thus rooted out wherein the Citizens were equally cruel and diligent they dispatched their Deputies to Demetrius to render him their Submissions and to assure him that in obedience to his Letters they had destroyed the Family of the Gedanowes to a man That Fedro his Mother and Sister were in safe custody in order to his Majesties dispose and that not only their gates but their hearts were open too for his reception Demetrius upon this agreeable news advanced toward Musko with his whole Army such of the Lords as had not yet presented themselves to him met him upon the way and being come within a mile of the Town their Magistrates were there in their Formalities as a representative of the City with a tender of its Homage which he received according to the mode of that Nation in Bread and Salt They had also prepared a vast Present for him in Gold and Jewels which he received with a show of kindness And being now owned by all the Nobility and Orders of the Kingdom and well assured of the devotion of the people to his Interest he made his entrance into the Royal City in great State upon the 20th of June in the year 1605. Emperour and Great Duke of Muskovy and many other Provinces and King of Casan and Astracan The manner of this celebrious Cavalcade was thus The Polish Horse with their Launces presented had the Van Some thousands of Muskovites followed them in good order having in the midst of their Body the Coach of Demetrius drawn by six beautiful Horses with all his lead Horses nobly Sadled and Trapped with embroidery of Gold and Jewels After these came the Clergy with squared Ensignes born before them on which were Painted some Saint or other as our Lady St. Nicholas their Patron and the like The Patriarch brought up the Rear of these Spiritual Warriours and at some distance behind him was Demetrius himself mounted upon a goodly Milk-white Courser environed on all sides with the Lords and Gentlemen that made up his Train All the Bells rung for joy and all the Streets Windows tops of Houses and all other eminent places swarmed with multitudes of people who as he passed along fell upon their faces and then raising themselves up cried as one man Long live the Great Duke of Russia Thou art the right Sun and bright Morning-Star that now shines in Muskovy To which he replied God give you my Subjects Health and prosperity stand up and pray for me As he passed along he was shewed the Palace of Boris but he turned another way as loathing to behold that place where had been hatched all the Villanies against him and the Blood-Royal of Russia and declaring it his pleasure to have it defaced the willing people were not long in the execution of his Commands laying those goodly Fabricks in a moment level with the ground Demetrius being entered the Palace-Royal dismissed the Princes and Lords who trooped together into the Market-place where Bogdan Bielski made them an Exhortation to acknowledge the goodness of God for their Great Duke obliging them to be true and faithful to him That he was the undoubted Son of John Basilius and thereupon taking his Cross out of his Bosom with St. Nicholas his Picture upon it he kissed it and swore that their present Emperour was the right Demetrius and that to the day of his discovery he had been concealed and kept in the Bosom of St. Nicholas who had now restored him to them for the preservation of them and their Land Hereupon the whole people answered with joyful acclamations three times God save our Great Duke God give him health God punish all his Enemies and all those that fail in their Fidelities to him Demetrius being by this extraordinary Concurrence of his Affairs got upon the Throne assumed the manage of the Government into his own hands and having made it his study to understand the Interests of his Crown as it stood related to forain Princes upon the accompt of Traffick or any other considerations of State he informed himself what Embassadors were then in the Kingdom either at Court or upon their return he judged it advisable to signifie to them his happy Restauration And understanding that amongst others of other Princes that Mr. John Merrick Agent and Sir Thomas Smith Embassadors for the King Great Britain having received their Dispatches from Boris were upon their return homeward in order whereunto having finished their other Negotiations they were gone toward the Sea-side Demetrius sent this following Letter from the Camp at Thula to Mr. Merrick and a while after another with an Express by one of the Gentlemen of his chamber to the aforesaid Embassadors Demetrius his Letter to Mr. Merrick Dated the 8th of June 1605. WE Demetrius Evanowich Lord Emperour and Great Duke of Russia To John Merrick English Merchant We give hereby to understand that we are by the just Judgment of God and his strong Power as Duke and Sole Lord raised to our inheritance Throne and Empire of Uladomir Muskovy and all Russia Calling therefore to minde the Confederations and Amity which our Father Evan Vasilowich Lord Emperour and Great Duke of Russia held and kept with the Great Princes of Christendom We likewise are resolved to maintain and keep the same and in a more special manner to hold a more particular correspondence and friendship with your King James To this end we purpose to favour you his English Merchants with a greater measure of our Grace than heretofore you have enjoyed from our Predecessors So soon therefore as you shall have received these our Letters and finished your markets at the Port of St. Michael the Archangel our pleasure is that you hasten back
Friends to the enjoyment of this accustomed solace when these enraged Tartars broke in upon him and murthered him upon the place Neither did they escape Vengeance for Marina receiving this news with the most violent apprehension in the world and laying aside all respect to her Quality being transported with grief and rage she ran into the Streets calling to every person she met either to revenge the Murther of her Lord or by the same cruelty to do an act of Charity towards her in delivering her from that loathed burthen of her life The Cossacks inflamed by the Prayers and Tears of this great Lady fell with such fury upon the Tartars that they sacrificed two hundred of them to Demetrius his Manes Marina's grief and their own resentments This second Demetrius after his death was by all hands admitted to be an Impostor Most would have him to have been a School-Master in Socola a Town of Russia Alba and that he had been set up as a Property by the Poles the better to countenance their Designes upon Muskovy Others supposed him a Jew upon this Reason that there were found in his Closet some Hebrew and Talmudical Books the same being likewise affirmed by Michael Federowiez the succeeding Emperour in a Letter from him to Maurice Prince of Orange But whoever he was he was slain by these Tartars as we have related but did not die so entirely but that his Son was chose Great Duke by them of Caluga and Zaruckius with all his Forces addressed himself to the Russians offering them their aid upon promise that so soon as they should quit their hands of the Poles they should by the example of Caluga chuse this Son of Demetrius Great Duke and Emperour This being assented to this Son of Demetrius and Marina was in those Quarters considered as Emperor though many believed this yet a further Impostor for that Marina was supposed barren King Sigismund continued still the Siege of Smolensko which he judged ignominious and below him to abandon though while he opiniatred there he omitted more specious opportunities of prevailing elsewhere and by this delaying gave the Muskovites means to regain what by their Divisions had been extorted from them It was now the beginning of the Year 1611 when they began to take Arms under the Conduct of Lepanow a Great Lord of the Country who having made some private Levies appeared in the field first about Prezlaw from whence he invited and gained most of the Boyarians to his Party dispersing Messengers into all the Provinces to reproach the Poles of their breach of Faith in detaining their Prince from them complaining further that they had got their City of Musko by fraud and practice and that they kept the Zuiski's in Prison together with their Embassadors contrary to the Law of Nations Zarucki brought in his Force to this Party upon the Conditions before mentioned that young Demetrius should be received and declared Emperour and Great Duke so soon as they should have cleared their Country from the Poles the plague of it And Prosowecki another Great Lord raised another and greater Army about Novogrodock so that these Levies from small beginnings did by the inadvertencie of the Poles improve to that bulk that none of the Kings Forces scattered in the Country for the securing its Obedience durst look upon them they scarce sufficing to defend themselves He could not spare any of his Leaguer from before Smolensko having a great Line to man and the Enemy a strong Garrison in the Town his Army in Musko was little enough to keep the numbers in the City in subjection whose old aversion to the Poles was revived to so high a pitch that upon notice of Lepanow's being in Arms they conspired how to Massacre the Garririson consisting of 6000 Horse and 1000 Foot They wanted only Leaders not a will to this bloody action There were within the circuit of this vast City one hundred and eighty thousand houses a multitude of Inhabitants besides a great confluence of Strangers retired thither out of the neighbour-Provinces for Sanctuary to avoid the fury of a Civil War and many to assist the Conspirators as conscious of the intended Designe so that they only wanted a Head and Method for the carrying of it on Goziouski General of the Poles was not without his Intelligence of these Menés but chose rather to dissemble his notice being only intent upon his fortifying of Kitaigrod and Krimgrod which contain within their Walls the Dukes Palace with the Ware-houses of the wealthiest Merchants proposing to himself that he should be able to retire thither upon occasion Gariouski had scarce finished his Works when the Russians supplying by their malice what they wanted in conduct being carried on as it were by the weight of their number drawn together by the ringing of their Bells the third day after Palm-Sunday made a furious Assault upon the Enemy in their bosome The Poles opposed Despair and Discipline to their confused multitudes and were so successful in it as to kill 6000 upon the place without any considerable loss and prosecuting that advantage by firing that part of the City next them they destroyed multitudes of Houses Women Children Goods and helpless People by the aid of that raging Element The day following Gariouski commanded the Suburbs on the other side of the River Moscha to be burnt because that Strusius who was hastening to the relief of his Countreymen with his Regiment from Mosaisco was retarded there by the Inhabitants The City tamed thus by Fire and Sword rejecting the fault upon some few petitioned for pardon and had it without great difficulty the Poles not being in a condition to do more than secure their own Quarters though they had gained well to bring the Enemy to ask quarter of them It was neither compunction in the one nor kindness in the other that begat this calm for the Inhabitants upon the advance of Lepanow with Zarucki and Prosowecki with an Army of 100000 men joyned with them forcing the Poles into their Works where they were besieged save on one passage over the River which they kept open a long time and by which they got in their Provisions and made frequent Sallies with various Fortune and Success All this while King Sigismund lay immoveable at the Siege of Smolensko which dured longer than he had fancied but what was worse the Souldiers grew uneasie for want of Pay clamouring in such sort that he was in much dread of a Mutiny He had no Moneys neither did he know how to compass any without a Convention of the States of his Kingdom and this he was put upon to calm the Souldiers who were prevailed with to expect the determinations of that Assembly with patience But the King that no Objection might lie upon him for not having made all imaginable Attempts for gaining the place resolved upon a general Assault before he left the Leaguer to go to the Convention which he had appointed in
that Country at such times as he made his Collections by Charles the VIII King of Sweden upon the accompt of the contrary Party The Poles by their learned Historian Praeserius as also by the Testimony of their own example asserted the contrary with much fervor he by his Writings they by their vigorous Aids by the countenance of which as by steps he ascended up to the Throne of the Empire and to justifie his Title yet th◠more there were many eminent Person engaged personally in his Quarrel mon out of greatness of mind than any perticular Interest which they would no have done if they had believed him a Impostor And he himself when he w 〈◊〉 at any time ready to engage was use with erected hands and eyes to Pray 〈◊〉 the hearing of his Souldiers in the terms Destroy me O just Judge and blot out my name from amongst men if what Iundertake be done unjustly or wickedly Thou seest my Innocence help my most righteous Cause I commend my self and these my fellow-Souldiers into thy protection O Queen of Heaven That he used these kind of Ejaculations before a Battle is very true and if at that time he did not believe himself it is very strange for then must he not believe in the Majesty of that God upon whom he called or that the great Creator was more swayed by his mental Reservations than his publike Expressions and was of a confederacy with him to betray his Army into a good opinion by the Success he gave it which were Blasphemy to imagine And yet we have in our own Land had appeals to God upon the most palpable Rebellion that ever was committed against a Soveraign proceeding to that hight as to destroy the Anovnted of the Lord in the Name of the Lord. Possibly this Demetrius had it instilled into him by the Priest his Tutor that he was in reality the Son of John Basilius but however it was or whether he believed himself so or not he was rendered to the world as the most remarkable Object of Fortune that many Ages can parallel she in him passing to both extreams by which may be observed the mutability of humane affairs and that their change is natural Demetrius was scarce warm in his Seat when the Lords either taking it for granted that he was an Impostor or weary of that Instrument wherewith they had served themselves to revenge upon Boris and his Family the Cause of the Blood-Royal of Russia began to form a Conspiracie against his life which being secured by his Guard of Poles and other Forreners their first designe was to remove them the better thereby to break in upon him In order to this they took all opportunities to breathe their Moans and Complaints to such as they knew to be in favour about him That it was the anguish of their Souls after the Testimony given by them of their Loyalty to find their Prince retain doubtful thoughts concerning them which they collected from his employing Poles and other mercenary Strangers to guard his person as if he could be more safe in their hands than in those of his native Subjects who could do no less than consider themselves neglected at least to see the Royal Person of their Emperour in the hands of strangers as if to defend him against his own Subjects That it was a new thing in Muskovy to have a Life-guard of Forreners and did more argue the fears of an Usurper than the assurances of a legitimate Prince and that they should understand these kinde of Guards were they not well assured of the Clemencie of their Great Duke as Executioners of his displeasure when he should please to look back into those times when they had obeyed the commands of the Tyrant Boris Thus did the Lords whisper their griefs as they call'd them but with so great modesty that Demetrius being acquainted with them and with what tenderness and respect they were uttered resolved to comply entirely with them and to give up himself absolutely into the arms of his own people being so strangely deluded with this seeming kindness that he not only dismissed his Guards but his Auxiliaries besides The Conspirators having got over these great steps drew more into their Party whereby the Plot was rendered more publike till at last it reacht the ears of Demetrius who too late repenting his unadvised credulity would yet make appear his resentment of this Treason and causing some to be apprehended they were tortured till they confessed the whole designe and that they had been induced to it by the insinuations of Basilius Zuiski who assured them that his Highness was not the Son of John Basilius but an Impostor the Interment of Demetrius having by Boris been committed to his particular care He confessed indeed that in compliance with the malignity of the Times and to preserve himself from ruine he had upon the Uproar in the City when Demetrius was at the Gates affirmed that the Son of a Priest at Vgleckz had been put in the place of Demetrius and was killed upon the supposition of his being the Prince but that all this was a false suggestion of his own to gratifie the fury of the people who would have involved him in the ruines of Boris had he deni'd it Duke Basilius Zuiski being apprehended and the Rack presented to him the readiest expedient for discoveries and commonly used in that Country he confessed the whole Charge whereupon he was condemned to loose his head in order whereunto being conducted to the Scaffold and placed upon his Knees to receive the fatal stroke the Execution was stopped and he not only pardoned but received into particular favour and nearness about Demetrius who by an ill computation of his Affairs took this way first of exposing and terrifying them as Criminals and then taking them into his bosom as Friends not considering that disobligations stick closer than kindnesses and that they who had laid a designe for his ruine were not to be diverted from it by the Courtship of words If we look into the Affairs of the world we shall find that the industrious man is not always rich there are that rise early and yet eat the bread of carefulness Wealth comes many times by a lucky hit and a fortunate man is served by a concurrence or rather confederacie of Accidents which in the judgment of right Reason would more probably tend to his ruine Demetrius was a notable proof of this in his prodigious rise to the Empire of Russia towards which he had done little more than personate a fit Subject to be opposed against the Interests of Boris He owed his acquisitions to Fortune and the giddy humour of the wavering People and his ruine to his own inconsiderateness and want of Conduct He prosecuted the Family of Boris beyond what was consistent with the State of Great Duke of Russia above seventy Families of that Kindred and Party being banished by him dividing the Spoils amongst his forein