48 o ^ V O Y a 
eli£ fall lame or blind. It is faid the Poles were the firft 
who brought up the Fafhlon of powdering Hair to hide 
their Plica, which Is the more probable, as Starch is the 
Manufadure of Poland. They are more faithful in obferv- 
ing their Treaties than the Ruffians.^ the Latter making 
no Scruple to break the moft folemn Alliances, when it is 
for their Interdls : And yet in their private Negociations, 
the Mufcovltes are very exad in making good what they 
fwear to, and careful how they take a falfe Oath, or indeed 
how they take any. 
The PoU/h and Ruffian Languages differ one from the 
other, as the Englijh does from the Scots. The Poliffi 
Tongue paffes for the more copious and polite •, and yet 
the Pronunciation is not fofter, nor the Orthography lefs 
rude than the Ruffian Language, In fome of their Words 
there are fix Confonants for one Vowel ; they can hardly 
fpeak without fputtering in the Faces of thofe to whom 
they fpeak. They are (lately in their Salutations, and do 
not bow fo loW; as the Ruffians. The Tartars falute their 
Superiors by embracing their Knees. The Common People 
falute one another, by putting the Fore-finger on the 
Mouth of the Perfon fainted, and fliaking the Head a 
little. The Manner of the Circaffians in this Cafe, is odder 
ftill ; they afk the Man whom they would falute, if his 
Servants, his Cows, his Sheep, his Horfes, his Goats, his 
Hogs, his Cocks, his Hens, and his Turkeys, are all fafe 
and well. 
21. 1 flaall not pretend to write a comiplete Hiflory of 
the Houfc of Roinanzow now reigning in Mufeovy^ what 
is faid here hiftorically, being a fort of Digrefiion ; but 
believing the Reader will be diverted with a fhort Account 
of the prefent Czar’s Family, I thought fit to give if,. and 
fome other entertaining Occurrences which I met in the 
Memoirs fo often mentioned before. It would be too tedi- 
ous to give, as the Gentleman who wrote them has done, 
a long Etymology of the Word Czar, and how the firft 
Romanzow was advanced to the Title, or how Bafilowitz, 
having reduced all the petty Dukes that had Sovereignties 
in Mufeovy, tvtSktA a Monarchy on their Ruins. John 
Bafilowitz, his Son, followecfhis Steps, v/as fuccefsful, and 
fubdued the Kings of Cafan, AJlracan, and Siberia. To 
write ail thefe Events, would make a long Lliftory of itfelf, 
Bafilowltz reigning many Years. And though he was the 
greateft Tyrant in the V/ord, he was alfo one of the 
moft happy Monarchs, if Vidory alone can make a Prince 
happy. 
The Czar Michael, Father to the prefent Czar (Anno 
1670) was a very merciful, religious and good Prince, 
courteous to Strangers, and one who delighted in main- 
tainincr a friendly Correfpondence with all Chriftian 
Potentates. Count V/olmer, the Lift King of Denmark^ 
natural Son, would have married his Daughter, but the 
Clergy of Ruffia oppofed it, Lying, Wolmer was a Here- 
tic, and therefore the Princefs could not lawfully inarry 
him. The Panijh Prince relenting that the Ruffian 
Priefts fiiould oppofe his Match, challenged them to dif- 
pute wdth his Chaplains, whofe Religion was the trueft, his 
or theirs. The Ruffians refufed his Challenge. The Czar 
was highly enraged againft them for it, demanding, what 
Sort of Faith they profeffed, that they could not defend it^ by 
Reafou and Argument : Some Days alter, as he was going 
to Bed, he was taken with a Vomiting, and died the next 
Morning, not without Sufpicion* oft being poifoned, the 
Priefts apprehending he would make Innovations in their 
Relimon. The Czarina or Emprefs, did not long furvive 
him, and Count Wolfner tnereupon gave over all Thoughts 
of the Marriage. j j 1 • c • 
This Emperor often recommended to his Son Alexis 
Michaelowitz to follow the Advice of Boaris Juanowitz 
his Governor. There is an odd Story of the Fate of this 
Boaris" s Father, being a Widower, and the Emperor AiS- 
Jilowitz"^ Favourite. He defired him to beftowone of his 
Concubines upon him in Marriage. Bafilowitz granted 
his Requeft, without naming any of them in particular . 
The Favourite having a Licence at large, took the hand- 
fomeft of them all. At which Bafilowitz fell into a vio- 
lent Paffion ■, and hearing they were retired together to 
one of his Stove-Chambers or Hummums, to enjoy them- 
felves'with the greater Liberty, as they thought they 
G E th,e Book IL 
might lawfully do, having the Emperor and the Priefth 
Confent ^ the Czar commanded a Bear to be let loofe 
upon them ; which was done ; and the two Lovers were 
immediately devoured by him. Boaris zndiCkab, the un- 
happy Favourite’s tw^o Sons, were bred np with the Em- 
peror Michael : And Boaris gained fuch an Influence over 
him, by a long Familiarity, that he governed all things 
as he thought lit, and was more abfolute than his Mailer. 
He leffened the Czar’s Officers ; and thofe he kept in their 
Pofts were glad to ferve for half Pay even the very Em- 
bafiador’s Penfions were retrenched : He impofed new 
Taxes, and fent thofe Dukes, who having been Sovereigns 
formerly v/ere moft dangerous, to diftant Governments, as 
to Pripnin, to Bolgorod, to Corathin, and to Cafan : In fiiort, 
he v/as fo fevere in his Miniftry, that the Nobility hated 
him as much as they envied him 5 and he, defpifing 
their Intrigues to depofe him from his exalted Station of 
chief Favourite and Minifter, depreffed them to raife his 
own Creatures. 
The People murmured at the new Impofitions ; there 
was an Infurreccion upon it they required Juftice, and 
that the Emperor Ihonid deliver Boaris over to them to be 
made an Example on for his Mal-Ackniniftration. The . 
Czar was furprized at their Demands, not expecting any 
fuch Infolence from his Slaves, for fo his Favourite had 
reprefented all his Subjefts. He endeavoured to molify 
thofe of them v/ho were moft outrageous. And to gain 
time, and fave his Favourite’s Life,' he fwore he would 
banifli him from Court for ever. This Compliance ap- 
peafed them ; Boaris was ordered to retire, and the Nobi- 
lity were reftored to the Czar’s Favour, which they ma- 
naged as little to the People’s Satisfablion as Boaris had 
done, who being a cunning Statefman, obferved their 
Difeontents, and improved them to his Advantage, by 
encouraging the Clamour againft the Nobility, who op- 
preflfed the People fo much, that thofe who v/ere lately 
moft for baniftiing the Favourite, were now hotteft for 
recalling him. They found it no difficult Matter to fuc- 
ceed in their Enterprize *, the Czar, on their Petition, did 
readily wdiat they would have him do ; fent for Boaris to 
Court : And he was afterwards very kind to thofe that 
had been inftrumental in his Reftoration. Ever after, he 
carefled the People on all Occafions, and favoured them 
to the utmoft of his Power ; He undertook to proteft all 
Foreigners, and w^as equally beloved by Natives and 
Strangers. He died about fixteen Years fmee, i. e. in 
1 650, in a very old Age, beloved by his Prince, and re- 
gretted by his People. Ke had the Charadter of an able 
Politician, whofe Councils were fuccefsful. He died la- 
mented by every body but the ancient Nobility, whofe 
ambitious Defigns he always thwarted. 
It was he that made Eliah Danelcwitz General of the 
Czar’s Army ; who, before he had a Fit of the Apo- 
plexy, was reckoned a Man of great Worth and Capaci- 
ty. He was bold, daring, and vigilant : His Memory 
was fo good, that he knew every one’s Bufmefs in all the 
Employments Civil and Military. He could diftindlly 
tell the feveral Quarters of an Army of fourfeore thou- 
fand Men : He could tell the Names and Charafters of 
all his Officers •, but the Accident that happened, as we 
have already faid, weakened him extremely both in Body 
and Mind ; And his Memory is now fo bad, that he 
hardly remembers thofe Perfons with whom he was moft 
familiar. He was Treafurer, and held five or fix more 
great Offices, which he managed with equal Skill and 
Succefs. ’Tis true, he plundered a great deal, and the 
Emperor, who feared more than he loved him, winked 
at it more willingly, becaufe whatever Eliah ferap’d up, 
would fall to him in right of his Wife, Daughter. 
Neverthelefs, after the'' Death of DanelowitAs Wife, ob- 
ferving that he was too kind to lome Tartarian and Po- 
lijh Women, he ordered him either to marry or leave the 
Court. On which Occafion, I cannot help remarking, 
that Marriages are in high Efteem in' Ruff.a, either out of 
Policy to encourage what helps to people the Country, or 
to prevent the Ruffians ' dbim^onm^ themfelves to Boys 
and Beafts, to which they are not a little inclined ; nor 
is that Crime piiniffied with Death there, as in other S 
Countries. i 
1 i 
