RUSSIANS. 
191 ) 
pull off one of his buskins, giving her to understand, that in one of 
them there is contained a whip, and in the other a jewel or a purse 
of money. Slie takes her choice ; and if she finds the purse, inter- 
prets it into a good omen ; whereas, should she light on the whip, 
she construes it into an unhappy presage, and instantly receives a 
lash, as a specimen of what she has to expect. 
The Muscovite husbands are the most barbarous, even to a pro- 
verb ; they not only administer frequent and severe corrections to 
their Nyives, but sometimes torture them to death, without being sub- 
ject to any punishment for the murder. He that marries a second 
wife, the first being alive, is not admitted farther than the church 
door; whoever espouses a third, is excommunicated; so that, 
though polygamy is tolerated, they count it infamous. If a woman 
is barren, the husband generally persuades her to retire into a con- 
vent ; if fair means will not succeed, he may whip her into 
compliance. 
Religions and Superstitions. 
The Russians were converted to the Christian religion about the 
end of the tenth century. Since that period they have professed the 
articles of the Greek church, mingled with many superstitious cere- 
monies of their own. They do not believe in the pope’s infallibility 
or supremacy ; they hold no communion with the see of Rome ; they 
use auricular confession, communicate in both kinds, adopt the 
Athanasian creed, and adhere to the established liturgy of St. Basil. 
They worship the Virgin Mary and other saints, and adore crosses 
and relics. They observe four great fasts in the year, during which 
they never taste fish, flesh, nor any animal food ; they will not drink 
after a man who has eaten flesh, nor use a knife that has cut meat, in 
less than twenty-four hours after it has been used ; nor will they, 
even though their health is at stake, touch any thing in which harts- 
horn or any animal substance has been infused. While this kind of 
Lent continues, they subsist upon cabbages, cucumbers, and rye-bread, 
drinking nothing stronger than a sort of small beer called quassi. 
They likewise fast every Wednesday and Friday. Their most 
common penance is to abstain from every species of food and drink, 
but bread, salt, cucumbers, and water. They bend their bodies, and 
continue in that painful posture, and between whiles strike their 
head against an image. The Muscovites reject as impure, horse- 
flesh, elk, veal, hare, rabbit, ass’s milk, mare’s milk, and Venice trea- 
cle, because the flesh of vipers is an ingredient, also every thing 
that contains even the smallest quantity of musk, civet, and castor ; 
yet they have no aversion to swine’s flesh, and the country produces 
excellent bacon. 
They celebrate fifteen grand festivals in the year. On Palm Sunday 
there is a magnificent procession, at which the czar assists in person 
and on foot. He is dressed in cloth of gold, his train is carried by 
the prime nobility, and he is attended by his whole court. He is 
imniediately preceded by the officers of his household, one of whom 
carries his handkerchief on his arm, lying upon another of the richest 
embroidery. He halts at a sort of platform of free stone, where. 
