OSEP NAPEA'S RETURN HOME ad. 



1558. 

 politan was set, but the Emperours majestie stood upon 

 the ice. 



After this the priests began to sing, to blesse and to 

 sense, and did their service, and so by that time that 

 they had done, the water was holy, which being sancti- 

 fied, the Metropolitane tooke a litle thereof in his hands, 

 and cast it on the Emperour, likewise upon certaine of 

 the Dukes, & then they returned againe to the church 

 with the priests that sate about the water : but that 

 preasse that there was about the water when the Em- 

 peror was gone, was wonderful to behold, for there 

 came above 5000 pots to be filled of that water : for 

 that Moscovite which hath no part of that water, thinks 

 himselfe unhappy. 



And very many went naked into the water, both men 

 and women and children : after the prease was a litle 

 gone, the Emperours Jennets and horses were brought 

 to drinke of the same water, and likewise many other 

 men brought their horses thither to drinke, and by that 

 means they make their horses as holy as themselves. 



All these ceremonies being ended, we went to the 

 Emperour to dinner, where we were served in vessels 

 of silver, and in all other points as we had bene before- 

 time. 



The Russes begin their Lent alwaies 8 weekes before The Russes 

 Easter : the first weeke they eate egs, milke, cheese & Lent - 

 butter, and make great cheare with pancakes and such 

 other things, one friend visiting another, & from the 

 same Sunday until our Shrofesunday there are but few 

 Russes sober, but they are drunke day by day, and it 

 is accompted for no reproch or shame among them. 



The next weeke being our first weeke of Lent, or [I. 318.] 

 our clensing weeke, beginning our Shrofesunday, they 

 make and keepe a great fast. It is reported, and the 

 people do verily beleeve that the Metropolitan neither 

 eateth nor drinketh any maner of thing for the space 

 of seven dayes, and they say that there are many religious 

 men which doe the like. 



II 433 2E 



