A LARGE DESCRIPTION OF RUSSIA ad. 



1558. 

 miracles, but I was hard of belief because I saw him 

 worke no miracle whilest I was there. 



After this they brought me into their sellers, and 

 made me taste of divers kinds of drinks, both wine and 

 beere, mead and quassie, of sundry colours and kinds. 

 Such abundance of drink as they have in their sellers, I 

 doe suppose few princes have more, or so much at once. 



Their barrels or vessels are of an unmeasurable bignes 

 & sise : some of them are 3. yards long and more, and 

 2. yards & more broad in their heads: they conteine 6. 

 or 7. tunnes a piece : they have none in their sellers 

 of their owne making that are lesse then a tunne. They 

 have 9. or 10. great vautes which are full of those 

 barrels which are seldome remooved : for they have 

 trunks which come downe through the roofe of the 

 vautes in sundry places, through which they powre 

 drinke downe, having the caske right under it to 

 receive the same, for it should be a great trouble to 

 bring it all downe the stayres. 



They give bread, meat and drinke unto all men that The kospitali- 

 come to them, not onely while they are at their abbey, tte °f their 

 but also when they depart, to serve them by the way. monas enes ' 



There are a great number of such monasteries in the 

 Realm, and the Emperors majesty rideth oftentimes from 

 one to another of them, and lieth at them 3. or 4. daies 

 together. 



The same monkes are as great merchants as any in [I. 321.] 

 the land of Russia, and doe occupy buying and selling 

 as much as any other men, and have boats which passe 

 too and fro in the rivers with merchandize from place 

 to place where any of their countrey do traffike. 



They eate no flesh during their lives as it is reported : 

 but upon Sunday, Munday, Tuesday, Thursday and 

 Saturday it is lawful for them to eate egges, butter, 

 cheese and milke, and at all times to eate fish, and after 

 this sort they lead their lives. 



They weare all blacke garments, and so doe none 

 other in all the lande, but at that abbey onely. 



441 



