392 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No. 81. 



Handelsverkehr zwischen England und Russland 

 in seiner Eatstehung," &c. 



De. Rimbault's note contains a good epitome 

 of the most obvious English notices (respecting the 

 Tradescants ; but while correcting the errors of 

 others, he has himself fallen into one important 

 mistake, in stating that " Old John Tradescant 

 died in 1652 ;" for tliat is the date of the death of 

 his grandson, John, who died young. Old John 

 died in 1638, leaving a son, also named John, who 

 was born in 1608, and died in 1662, having sur- 

 vived his only son ten years ; and, having no heir 

 to his treasures, lie had previously conveyed them, 

 by deed of gift, to Elias Ashmole, who seems to 

 have contrived to make himself agreeable to him 

 by his pursuits as a virtuosi), ami byliis alchemical 

 and astrological fancies. When Dr. Ilamel was in 

 England, I had the pleasure of indicating to him 

 the site of " Tradescant's Ark" in South Lambeth. 

 It was situate on the east side of the road leading 

 from Vauxiiall to Stnckweli, nearly opposite to wliat 

 was formerly called Spring Lane. Ashmole built 

 a -large brick house near that wliieh had been 

 Tradescant's, out of the back of part of which he 

 made offices. Tiie front part of it became tlie 

 habitation of the well-known anticjuary. Dr. Du- 

 carel. It still remains as two dwellings; the one, 

 known as " Turret House," is occupied by John 

 Miles Thorn, Esq., an.l the other, called "Stam- 

 ford House," is the dwelling of J. A. Fulton, Esq. 



In his indefatigable researches to elucidate the 

 early intercourse between England and Russia, 

 Dr. Hamel's attention was accidentally called to 

 the Tradescants and their Museum; and the fol- 

 lowing ]iassage in Parkinson's Ptiradisns Terrostris^ 

 p. 345. (Art. " Neesewort," then called Ellebm'us 

 aibus), led to the discovery of a relation of Old 

 John's voyage to Russia: — • 



" Tliis (says Parkinson) grows in many places in 

 Germany, nnd likewise in certain places in Russia, in 

 such abundance, that, according to the relation of that 

 wortliy, curious, and diligent searcher and |)reserver of 

 all nature's rarities and varieties, my very good friend 

 John Tradescante, oi' wliom 1 have many times before 

 spoken, a moderately large ship (as he says) might be 

 laden witli the roots thereof, which he there saw on a 

 certain island." 



The same notice, in other words, also occurs in 

 Parkinson's Theatrum, p. 218. 



Ill searching among the MSS. in the Ashmolean 

 IMuseum, Dr. Ilamel bore this passage in memory, 

 and one MS., thus described in Mr. Black's excel- 

 lent catalogue, No. 824., xvi., contained conlirma- 

 tory matter : 



" A Voiag of Ambassad undertaken by tli<e Right 

 Honnor.ibl S' Dudlie Diggs, in the year 1618." 

 " This curious narrative of the voyage round the North 

 Cape to Archangel, begins with a list of the c'hief 

 persons employed in the embassy, and contains observ- 

 atipM^ pf tlje weather, aod oti (tlie commercial, agri- 



cultural, and domestic state of Russia at that time. 

 It is written in a rnde hand, and by a person unskilled 

 in composition. The last half page contains some 

 chronolo:;ical notes and other stuff, perhaps written by 

 the same hand." 



Thus far Mr. Black. The full title of tlie MS. 

 is,— 



" A Viag of Ambassad undertaken by the Right 

 Honiiorabl S' Dudlie Diggs in the year 1-618, being 

 atended on withe 6 Gentillmen, whiche beare the nam 

 of the king's Gentilhnen, whose nams be-heere notted. 

 On M. Nowell, brother to the Lord Nowcll, M. 

 Thomas Finche, M. Woodward, M. Cooke, M. Eante, 

 and M. Henry Wyeld, withe every on of them ther 

 man. Other folloers, on Brigges, Interpreter, M. Jams, 

 an Oxford man, his Chaplin, on M. Leake his Secre- 

 tary, withe 3 Scots; on Ca|)tain Gilbert and his Son, 

 withe on Car, also M. Maihew De Quester's Son, of 

 Filpot Lane, in London, tlie rest his own retenant, 

 some 1 f? w/ienrnf ( Niite nn .Tonne an Coplie wvstersher 

 men) M. Swanli of Limliouse, master of the good 

 Ship called the Dianna of Newcastell, M. Nelson, part 

 owner of Newe Castell." 



Dr. Ilamel says : 



" What the words in Italics may signify is not quite 

 clear, but that 'on Jonne ' must relate to Tradescante 

 himself. Perhaps this passage may lead to the dis- 

 covery 'that Tradescant did not, as it has been con- 

 jectured, come from Holland, but that he was a native 

 of Worcestershire. Tlie name Tradescant might be 

 an assnmi.'d one (it was also written Tiadeskin, which 

 might be interpreted Fetlmonger).'" 



From documents in the archives at Moscow, 

 Dr. Hainel recovered the Christian names, and a 

 list of Sir Dudley Digges' attendants in this 

 voyage, which correspon<ls with that in the MS., 

 thus: — ArtJmr Nowell, Thoituis Woodward, Adam 

 Cooke, Joseph Fiinte, Thomas Leake, Richard 

 James, George Brigges, Jessy De Quester, Adam 

 Jones, Thomas Wakefield, John Adams, Thomas 

 Crisp, Leonard Hugh, and John Coplie. This 

 last must therefore have designated John Trades- 

 cant himself, who was certainly there. 



Sir Dudley Digges, to whom Tradescant seems 

 to have attached himself iu order to (jbtain know- 

 ledge of the plants and other natural curiosities of 

 Russia, was sent by King James I. to the Czar 

 Michael Fedorowitseh, who had in the previous 

 year despatched an embassy to the king, princi- 

 pally to negotiate for a loan. This ambassador, 

 WolUnsky, returned at the same time, iu another 

 vessel accompanying that of Sir Dudley. 



Dr. Hamel in his memoir has given considerable 

 extracts from the MS. narrative of the voj'age, 

 which sliow that Tradescant was an accurate ob- 

 server not only of objects coimected with his 

 studies of phytology and natural history, but of 

 other matters. Parkinson has justly styled him 

 " a painful industrious searclier and lover of all 

 natural varieties;" amd elsewhere saysi " MjTery 



