Of the Russe common wealth. Or, Maner of gouernement of the Russe emperour, (commonly called the Emperour of Moskouia) with the manners, and fashions of the people of that countrey.

Of the other Ceremonies of the Russe Church. (Book 25)

The 25. Chapter. (Book 25)

THe other ceremonies of their Churche,* 1.1 are ma∣nie in number: especially, the abuse about the signe of the Crosse, which they set vp in their high wayes, in the tops of their Chur∣ches, and in euery doore of their houses, sig∣ning

themselues continually with it, on their foreheads and brests, with great deuotion, as they will seeme by their outward gesture. Which were lesse offence, if they gaue not withall, that religious reuerence and woor∣ship vnto it, which is due to God onely, and vsed the dumbe shewe, and signing of it in∣steede of thanksgiuing, and of all other due∣ties which they owe vnto God. When they rise in the morning, they goe commonly in the sight of some steeple, that hath acrosse on the toppe: and so bowing themselues to∣wardes the crosse, signe themselues withal on their foreheads, and brests. And this is their thanksgiuing to God for their nightes rest, without any word speaking, except perad∣uenture they say, Aspody Pomeluy, or Lorde haue mercie vpon vs. When they sitte downe to meate, and rise againe from it, the thanks∣giuing to God, is the crossing of their fore∣heads and brests. Except it be some few that adde peraduenture, a worde or two of some ordinarie prayer, impertinent to that pur∣pose. When they are to giue an oath for the deciding of anie controuersie at Lawe, they doe it by swearing by the Crosse, and kissing the feet of it, making it as God, whose name onely is to bee vsed in such triall of iustice. When they enter into any house (where e∣uer there is an idole hanging on the wall)

they signe themselues with the crosse, & bow themselues to it. When they begin any work, bee it little, or much they arme them selues first with the signe of the crosse. And this cō∣monly is all their prayer to God, for good speede of their businesse. And thus they serue God with crosses, after a crosse and vaine maner: not vnderstanding what the crosse of Christ is, nor the power of it. And yet they thinke all strangers Christians, to be no better then Turkes, in comparison of themselues (and so they wil say) because they bow not themselues, when they meete with the crosse, nor signe themselues with it, as the Russe maner is.

They haue holie water in like vse,* 1.2 and e∣stimation, as the Popish Church hath. But herein they exceede them, in that they doe not onely hallow their holie water stockes, and tubbes ful of water, but all the riuers of the countrey once euery yeere.* 1.3 At Mosko it is done with great pompe, and solemnitie: the Emperour himselfe being present at it, with all his Nobility, marching through the streets towards the riuer of Moskua, in man∣ner of procession in this order as followeth. First goe two Deacons, with banners in their hands, the one of Precheste (or our Ladie) the other of S. Michael, fighting with his dragō. Then follow after, the rest of the Deacons &

the priests of Mosko, two & two in a ranke, with coaps on their backs, and their idols at their brests, carried with girdles or slinges, made fast about their necks. Next the priests come their Bishops in their pontificalibus: then the Friers, Monks, and Abbots: and af∣ter, the Patriarches, in very rich attite, with a ball, or sphere on the top of his myter, to sig∣nifie his vniuersalitie ouer that Church. Last commeth the Emperor with all his nobility. The whole traine is of a mile long, or more. When they are come to the riuer, a great hole is made in the yse, where the market is kept, of a rod and a halfe broad, with a stage round about it to keepe off the presse. Then beginneth the Patriarch to say certaine prai∣ers, and coniureth the diuel to come out of the water: and so casting in salt, and censing it with frankincense, maketh the whole riuer to become holy water. The morning before, all the people of Mosko vse to make crosses of chawlke ouer euerie doore, and window of their houses: least the Diuell beyng coniu∣red out of the water, shoulde flye into their houses.

When the ceremonies are ended, you shal see the black Gard of the Emperours house, and then the rest of the Towne, with their pailes and buckets, to take off the hallowed water for drinke, and other vses. You shall

also see the women dippe in their children o∣uer head and eares, and many men and wo∣men leape into it, some naked, some with their clothes on, when some man woulde thinke his finger woulde freese off, if hee should but dippe it into the water. When the men haue done, they bring their horse to the riuer, to drinke of the sanctified wa∣ter: and so make them as holie as a horse. Their set day for this solemne action of hal∣lowing their riuers, is that we cal Twelfthday. The like is done by other Bishops, in al parts of the Realme.

Their maner is also to giue it to their sick, in their greatest extremitie: thinking that it will eyther recouer them,* 1.4 or sanctifie them to God, Whereby they kill many, through their vnreasonable superstition, as did the Lord Borris his onely sonne at my beyng at the Mosko: whom he killed (as was said by the phisitions) by powring into him, colde holie water, and presenting him naked in∣to the Church, to their Saynt Basileo, in the colde of the Winter, in an extremitie of sick∣nesse.

They haue an image of Christ, which they call Neruchi, (which signifieth as much as Made without hands) for so their priests, & superstition withal, perswadeth them it was. This in their processions, they carry about

with them on high vpon a pole, enclosed within a Pixe, made like a lanthorn, and doe reuerence to it, as to a great mysterie.

At euery brewing, their maner is likewise,* 1.5 to bring a dish of their woort to the Priest, within the Church: which beyng hallow∣ed by him, is powred into the brewing▪ and so giueth it such a vertue, as when they drink of it, they are seldome sober. The like they doe with the first fruites of their corne in Haruest.

They haue an other ceremonie on Palm∣sunday,* 1.6 of auncient tradition: what time the Patriarch rideth through the Mosko, the Em∣perour himself holding his horse bridel, and the people crying Hosanna, & spreding their vpper garmentes vnder his horse feete. The Emperour hath of the Patriarch for his good seruice of that day 200 rubbels of standing pension. Another pageant they haue much like to this, the weeke before the nativitie of Christ▪ When euery Bishop in his Cathe∣dral Church setteth forth a shew of the three children in the Ouen. Where the Angell is made to come flying from the roofe of the Church, with great admiration of the loo∣kers on, and many terrible slashes of fire, are made with rosen, and gun-powder, by the Chaldians (as they call them) that run about the towne all the twelue dayes, disguised in

their plaiers coats, & make much good sport for the honour of the Bishops pageant. At the Mosko, the Emperour himselfe, and the Empresse neuer faile to be at it, though it be but the same matter plaid euery yeere, with∣out any new inuention at all.

Besides their fastes on Wednesdayes,* 1.7 and Fridayes throughout the whole yeere, (the one because they say Christ was solde on the Wednesday, the other because he suffe∣red on the Friday) they haue foure great Fastes, or Lentes euery yeere. The first, (which they call their great Lent) is at the same time with ours. The second, about Midsommer. The third, in Haruest time. The fourth, about Hallontide: which they keepe not of pollicie, but of meere superstition. In their great Lent for the first weeke, they eate nothing but bread and salt, and drinke no∣thing but water, neither meddle with anie matter of their vocation, but intende their shriuing, and fasting only. They haue also 3. Vigils, or Wakes in their great Lent, which they cal Stoiania & the last Friday their great Vigil,* 1.8 as they cal it. What time the whole pa∣rish must bee present in the Church, and watch from nine a clocke in the Euening, til sixe in the morning, all the while standing, saue when they fall downe, and knock their heads to their idoles, which must be an hun∣dred

and seuentie times, iust through the whole night.

About their burials also,* 1.9 they haue ma∣nie superstitious and prophane ceremonies: as putting within the finger of the corpes, a letter to Saint Nicolas: whome they make their chiefe mediatour, and as it were, the porter of heauen gates, as the Papistes doe their Peter.

In Winter time, when all is couered with snow, and the ground so hard frozen, as that no spade, nor pikeaxe can enter their man∣ner is not to burie their dead, but to keepe the bodies (so many as die all the Winter time) in an house, in the suburbs, or outparts of the towne, which they call Bohsedom, that is, Gods house: where the dead bodies are py∣led vp together, like billets on a woodstack, as hard with the frost as a very stone, till the Springtide come, & resolueth the frost: what time euery man taketh his dead friend, and committeth him to the ground.

They haue besides their yeeres and mo∣neths mindes,* 1.10 for their friendes departed. What time they haue praiers saide ouer the graue by the Priest: who hath a penie ordi∣narie for his paines. When any dieth, they haue ordinary women mourners, that come to lament for the dead party: and stand how∣ling ouer the bodie, after a prophane, and

heathenish manner (sometimes in the house, somtimes bringing the bodie into the back∣side asking him what hee wanted, and what he meant to die. They bury their dead, as the party vsed to goe, with coate, hose, bootes, hat and the rest of his apparell.

Many other vaine and superstitious cere∣monies they haue, which were long and te∣dious to report. By these it may appeare, how farre they are fallen from the true know∣ledge, and practise of Christian religion: ha∣uing exchanged the worde of God, for their vaine traditions, and brought al to ex∣ternal, and ridiculous ceremonies, without any regard of spirite and trueth, which God re∣quireth in his true worship.

Notes

• * 1.1

  The signe of the crosse.
• * 1.2

  Holywater.
• * 1.3

  Hallowing of riuers.
• * 1.4

  Drinking of holy wa∣ter.
• * 1.5

  Brewing with holy water.
• * 1.6

  Palmsun∣day.
• * 1.7

  Fasts.
• * 1.8

  Vigils.
• * 1.9

  Burials.
• * 1.10

  Moneths mindes.