476 A VOYAGE to the Book II. 
In general Fafts he always afTifts at the Midnight De- furnifh him, byfiich aTime, with an Army of two hum 
votions, and ftands upright two or three Hours together ; dred thoufand Men •, which would extremely oblige hinia 
on fome Occafions proftrates himfelf to the Ground a and engage him to mind him always in his Prayers, 
thoufand times j and on others more folemn, fifteen TheDiack^ who knew his Humour, received the Pe- 
hundred times- : He never makes any fet Meal during tition, and faid it fliould be anfwered. He raifed the 
the general P'afts, except on Sundays^ Tuefdays^ md Sa- Men with extreme Diligence *, and it was with this Army 
turdays ; on the other Days he eats only a Bit of brown he conquered Ca[an and JJiracan, and made himfelf 
Bread and Salt, fome Cucumbers and pickled Mufh- Mailer of Siberia. The Mufeovites loved him for his 
rooms, and drinks only a little fmall Beer •, in Lent Valour and Familiarity with them. He aftedled to be as 
he never eats Fifh above twice ; he obferves an exa6l kind to the Populace as he was fevere to the Boyars ; he 
Fall for the feven Weeks ; during which time he lives on always held a Stick in his Hand, with an Iron-fpike in it, 
Eggs and Milk •, befides the great Fafts, and fome little the Point of v/hich was very fliarp ; and often, as he 
ones particular to the Ruffians., every Monday, tVednef- talked with them, he would prick them in the Legs. If 
day, and Friday, throughout the Year, he wont touch a they endured the Pain with Conftancy, he ever after took 
Bit of any thing that comes from Flefti Meat ; fo that them into his Favour, and ever after had agreatElleem 
of the twelve Months he fafts eight; In public Pro- for them. Complaint being made to him, that tiWayvod^ 
celTions he walks with his Head bare in dry Weather, or the Governor of a Province, had received the Prefent of 
Though he is thus a great Bigot to his own Religion, a Goofe full of Ducats, he fent for him to Cogrt, making 
neverthelefs he will not fuffer his Subjeefts, when they die, as if he knew nothing of the Bribe : When he came 
to bequeath large Legagies to his Church *, nay, in time there, he took him to a Place where Criminals were 
of War, and fometimes under the Pretence of Borrow- commonly executed, and commanded the Hangman to 
ing, he takes away the Church Plate, and never returns cut off his Arms and Legs, and at every Blow he afleed 
it ; if he did not fo, his Revenues would not anfwer his him, how he liked Goofe-Blejh ? 
Expence, the Church being in Pofleffion of two Thirds Hearing the Inhabitants of Bologda cheated their 
of the Riches of his Empire. Cuftomers by ftrort Meafure, he lent Orders to his 
There is an Hofpital for old Men in his Palace, in Officers there to get them a certain Yard or Meafure, to 
which fome have lived to be one hundred and twenty fee whether it was fo long as it ffiould be, and finding it 
Years old ; he takes a Pleafiire in vifiting them, and fall fliort of the lawful Length, he fined them feverely. 
talking with them of Events that happened in theReigns SomtEngliJh and6’c(7/i‘ Men laughing at fomeofhis Freaks, 
of his Anceftors. On Good Friday, at Night, he vifits he commanded they fliould be brought before him ftripped 
all the Prifons, pays fome of the Prifoners Debts, par- n.aked, and in that Condition he forced them to pick up 
dons fome Criminals according to their fereral Deferts, five or fix Bufliels of Peafe one by one, which he had 
or the Smallnefs of their Offences, and gives Alms to all thrown about his Chamber on Purpofe. When they had 
that are in Want. All the Ecclefiaftical Benefices in the done he let them go, having firft made them drink. 
Empire are in his Gift ; but he was fo angry with the and admoniflied them not to laugh at him another time : 
laft Patriarch, that he would not nominate another to He ordered a Perfon of the Province of Cajfan, whofe 
fucceed him *, wherefore he ordered, that the Pretenders Name was Plehafve, or Baldpate, to be fent for : His 
to the Patriarchate ffiould call Lots ; which Cuftom is Secretary miftook him •, for inftead of writing to the 
lince abrogated. In ffiort, the Emperor has a great many JFayved of the Province to fend up he wrote 
good Qualities, and was it not that he has abundance of for one hundred and fifty baldpated Men. The W ayvod 
ill Counfellors about him, who turn him from the good could find but fourfeore, which he fent to the Secretary 
Way he would otherwife chufe to walk in, he might be with a Letter of Excufe, that he could not complete the 
reckoned amongft the greateft and wifeft Princes of Number he required of him. The Emperor reading 
his Acre. the Letter was amazed at it, and could not imagine 
His Father’s Inclinations tended to Peace, his own to what he meant by fo many Baldpates. At laft 
War j he has had feveral Quarrels with the Fartars, the Secretary’s Overfight was found out, and the Czar 
Swedes, 2.nd Poles-, by which his Dominions have been was fo far from being angry at it, that he made them 
fo impoveriffied and depopulated, in ten Years time, drink ; and fo difmiffed them. 
that they will not recover their Lofs in forty, nor be in HehadfuchanEfteemandFriendffiipfor Q. Elizabeth, 
the flourifliing Condition they were in at his coming to that he took hold of all Opportunities to ffiew it. It 
the Crown. The laft Plague in Mufeovy carried off, in was thought by fome Perfons of thofe Times, who pre- 
fix Years time, feven or eight hundred thoufand Men, tended to be very good Politicians, that he defired to 
Women, and Children : The Cham of Fartary, in four marry her, though we fuppofe they had very little 
or five Years, led above four hundred thoufand into Grounds for their Conjedlures *, nor was ft likely, that 
Captivity, who never will return to Mufeovy more*, and the greateft and moft polite Princefs of Jvurope, would 
three hundred thoufand at leaft were killed in the Wars, marry a Barbarian however it was faid, when his Affairs 
The beft Lands in Rujfia are worn out, and the worft were in a bad Condition, and he was obliged to fly with 
cannot be cultivated for want of Labourers. Thofe who his Treafures to Wologda, which City he fortified, that 
fail up the Volga, all the Way meet with fix Women to he defigned to make his Efcape to England, in cafe he 
one Man. The Price of all Commodiftes are rifen to fix had been forced to quit Mufeovy, of which he was not 
times the Value before thofe Troubles and Copper without Fear, in a Tumult of the People, and an ffir 
Money, which formerly ufed to pafs current among curfion of the Fartars but he triumphed over all his 
them, is now in no Credit, the Englijh and Dutch re- Enemies. It was this Prince who ordered a foreign Em- 
fufing to take it in all Payments. baffador’s Hat to be nailed to his Head, for daring to 
1 6. The Ruffians Fttd ivom the Slavery of the wear it in his Prefence. Notwithftanding which Sir 
Fartars in the Year 1479, by John Duke of Volodomir, Jeremy Bows, the Queen of England's EmbaffadOTCom- 
who at firft had only the Sovereignty of that Duchy *, ing to Mofeow foon after, not only put on his Hat be- 
but at laft he extended his Conquefts, feized the City of fore him, but cocked it boldly ; The Emperor afked 
Mofeow, the Capital of the Empire, and expelled him, if he had not heard how another Embafador had 
the Fartars out of his Territories. His Succeffor, John been ufed for the like, or kfs Prefumption ? Jeremy 
Bafilozvitz rendered the Ruffian Name, which had for fe- replied, Tes, Sir but I am the Embaffador of ^een 
veral Ages been the Contempt of the North, formidable Elizabeth <?/ England, who neither takes of her Bonnet, 
to their Neighbours. He was cruel, and therefore was nor ftands bare-headed to any Prince whatfoever : Her 
called theFyrant, however, that Cruelty was exercifed Perfon I reprefent, and Jhe will revenge to the utmoj 
moftly on the Enemies of his Empire, whom he fubdued, whatever J front is put on her Minifters. Upon this the 
and made way for its future Growth, He was brave, but Emperor turned about to his Courtiers, and faid: ™ ^ 
of a very whimfical Humour : One Day he went to a brave Man for you, that dares talk andaSl thus for te 
his Diack, or Secretary of State, and prefented Honour and Inter eft of his Miftrefs Which of you wou d 
him with a Petition drawn up in form in his own Name, do as much for me? . , 1 r. i,* 
and addreffed to the Diack \ wherein he prayed him to Sir Jeremy Bows was envied by the Boyars on t is 
