a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1576. 



lesse majesty our most gracious lord, in that according to 

 his fatherly affection which he beareth towards all Chris- 

 tendome, and for the good & commodity of this our 

 distressed and afflicted countrey, which these many yeres 

 hath bin in stead of a bulwarke against the invasion of 

 barbarous nations, he hath sent his ambassadors unto the 

 great duke of Moscovia. In regard of which his fatherly 

 love and great benefite vouchsafed on us, wee are ready 

 when occasion shall serve, to adventure our lives and 

 goods : praying in the meane season unto Almightie God, 

 [I. 225.] who is the onely establisher and confounder of common 

 wealths, to bring this excellent woorke, the foundation 

 whereof is already laide unto a prosperous conclusion. 

 But as touching the title which the Moscovite maketh to 

 this province, to say the very trueth, we greatly wondred 

 and were astonished at the declaration thereof. For it is 

 most apparant, not onely out of all ancient and credible 

 histories, but even from the experience and state of these 

 regions, that the said title and allegations are fabulous 

 and fained. For out of all auncient monuments, by what 

 names soever they bee called (whereof there are divers 

 extant among us) it cannot be proved by any mention, 

 nor yet by any likelihoode or conjecture, that those 

 things which the Moscovite affirmeth concerning the 

 people which were governors of these regions in times 

 past, and concerning the right and title of his ancestors 

 unto this province, are grounded upon truth. 

 The commodl- For it is not unknowen by what meanes this province, 

 ties of traffike p art -jy through the industry of marchants, and partly by 

 tiL * ga ~ tne b ene fi te °f navigation, was first discovered : neither is 

 it unknowen howe the inhabitants thereof beeing wholly 

 addicted unto heathenish superstitions and idolatrie, were 

 by the croised knights (who drew other knights professing 

 the same order in Prussia to aide and accompanie them in 

 this their enterprise) and that with great labour and diffi- 

 cultie, converted unto the Christian faith : when as at the 

 same time the Livonians had no knowledge at all of the 

 jurisdiction, religion, maners, or language of Moscovie : 



192 



