The decades of the newe worlde or west India conteynyng the nauigations and conquestes of the Spanyardes, with the particular description of the moste ryche and large landes and ilandes lately founde in the west ocean perteynyng to the inheritaunce of the kinges of Spayne. ... Wrytten in the Latine tounge by Peter Martyr of Angleria, and translated into Englysshe by Rycharde Eden.

¶ Other notable thynges as concernynge Moscouia: gathered owt of the bookes of Sigismundus Li∣berus. Note that when he sayth myles, he meaneth leaques.

FRom whense Russia had the name, there are dyuers opinions. Sume thynke that it was so named of one Russus the soonne or neuie of Lech the kynge of the Polons. Other af∣firme that it was so cauled of a certeyne owlde towne named Russus not farre frome Nouogoroda or Nouogardia the more.

Sum also thynke that it was so cauled of the browne coloure of the nation. But the Moscouians confute al these opinions as vntrewe: Affirmynge that this nation was in owlde tyme cauled Rosseia as a nation dispersed, as the name it selfe dooth declare. For Rosseia in the Ruthens tounge, doothe signifie dispersed or scattered. The which thynge to be trew, dyuers other people commyxt with thinhabitauntes, and dy∣uers prouinces lyinge here and there betwene dyuers partes of Russia doo playnely declare. But whense so euer they tooke theyr name, doubtlesse all the people that vse the Sla∣uon tounge, and professe the fayth of Chryst after the maner of the Greekes, (cauled in theyr common language Russi, and in the Latin tounge Rutheni) are increased to suche a multy∣tude that they haue eyther expulsed all the nations that lye beewene them, or drawne them to theyr maner of lyuynge, in somuche that they are nowe cauled all Rutheni by one com∣mon name.

Furthermore the Slauon tounge (whiche at this daye is sumwhat corruptly cauled Sclauon) runne••h exceadyng fa••, as vsed of the Dalmates, Bossuenser, Croatians, Istri••ns,

and by a longe tracte of the sea Adriatike vnto Forum Iulii: Of the Caruians also whome the Uenetians caule Charsos: and lykewyse of the Carniolans and Carinthians vnto the ry¦uer Drauus: Furthermore of the Stirians within Gretzi∣um and by Muera vnto Danubius and from thense of the My∣sians, Seruians, Bulgarians, and other inhabitynge euen vnto Constantinople: Furthermore of the Bohemians, Lusa∣cians, Silesians, Moranians, and thinhabitauntes neare vnto the ryuer Uagus in the kyngedome of Hungarie: The Polons also and the Ruthenians whose Empire reacheth ve∣ry farre: lykewyse the Circasians and Quinquemontanians vnto Pontus: and is from thense vsed in the north partes of Germanie amonge the remanent of the Uandales inhabityng here and there. All whiche nations althowgh they acknow∣leage them selues to bee Sclauons, yet the Germayns taking the denomination only of the Uandales, caule al thē that vse the Slauon tounge, Uuenden, Uuinden, or Uuindysh.

Of the Princes that nowe reigne in Russia, the chiefe is the great Duke of Moscouia who possesseth the greatest part therof. The seconde is the great duke of Lithuania: and the thyrde the kynge of Polonie, who nowe obteyneth the domi∣nion of Polonie and Lithuania.

In autoritie and dominion ouer his subiectes, the prince of Moscouie passeth all the monarkes of the worlde. For he depriueth all his noble men and gentelmen of al theyr holdes and munitions at his pleasure. He trusteth not his owne bro¦therne, but oppresseth all with lyke seruitude. In so muche that whome so euer he commaundeth eyther to remayne with hym in the courte, or to goo to the warres, or sendeth on am∣bassage, they are compelled to bee at theyr owne charges, ex∣cepte the younge gentelmen the soonnes of the Boiarons, that is, the noble men of the lowest degree. He vsurpeth this au∣toritie aswell ouer the spiritualtie as the temporaltie: consti∣tutynge what him lysteth of the goods and lyfe of al men. Of his counsilers there is not one that dare dissente from hym in any thynge. They openly confesse that the wyl of the prince is the wyll of god: and therfore caule hym the key bearer and chamberlen of god, and beleue him to bee the executor of gods wyll. By reason wherof, the prince hym selfe when any pe∣ticion is made to hym for the deliuerie of any captiue, is ac∣customed

accustomed to aunswere: When god commaundeth he shalbe deliuered. Lykewyse when any asketh a question of an vncer∣teyne or doubtefull thynge, theyr custome is to answere thus: God knoweth and the greate prince. It is vncerteyne whe∣ther the crueltie and fiercenes of the nation doo requyre so ty∣rannous a prince, or whether by the tyranny of the prince, the nation is made so fierce and cruell.

Basilius the soonne of Iohn, was the fyrst that tooke vp¦pon hym the name and title of a kynge in this maner: The great lorde Basilius, by the grace of god kynge and lorde of all Russia and the greate duke of Uuolodimaria, Moscouia, Nouogardia. &c.

Furthermore, wheras nowe this prince is cauled an Em∣perour, I haue thought good to shewe the tytle and cause of this errour. Note therfore that Czar in the Ruthens tounge signifieth a kynge, wheras in the language of the Slauons, Pollons, Bohemes, and other, the same woorde Czar, signi∣fieth Cesar by whiche name Themperours haue byn common∣ly cauled. For bothe they and the Slauons that are vnder the kyngdome of Hungarie, caule a kynge by an other name: as sum Crall, other Kyrall, and sum Koroll: but thinke that only an Emperoure is cauled Czar. Whereby it came to passe that the Ruthene or Moscouite interpretours hearynge theyr prince to bee so cauled of straunge nations, began them selues also to name hym an Emperour, and thinke the name of Czar to bee more worthy then the name of a kynge, althowgh they signifie all one thynge. But who so wyl reade all theyr hysto¦ries and bookes of holy scripture, shall fynde that a kynge is cauled Czar, and an Emperour Kessar. By the lyke erroure Themperour of the Turkes is cauled Czar, who neuerthe∣lesse of antiquitie vsed no hygher tytle then the name of a kynge, expressed by this woorde Czar. And hereof the Tur∣kes of Europe that vse the Slauon tounge, caule the citie of Constantinople Czargead, (that is) the kynges citie.

Sum caule the prince of Moscouie the whyte kynge, whi∣che I thinke to proceade of the whyte cappes, or other tyre∣mentes they weare on theyr heades, lyke as they caule the kynge of Percia Kisilpassa (that is) redde headde. He vseth the tytle of a kynge when he writeth or sendeth to Rome, the Emperour, the pope, the kynge of Suetia and Denmacke, the

greate master of Prussia and Liuonia, and also to the greate Turke as I haue byn credably informed: but he is not cauled kynge of any of them, excepte perhappes of the Liuons. Yet by reason of his later conquestes, sum haue thought hym wor¦thy the name of a kynge or rather of an Emperour bycause he hath kynges vnder his Empire.

To the kynge of Polone, he vseth this tytle: The greate lorde Basilius by the grace of god, lorde of all Russia, and greate duke of Uuolodimeria, Moscouia, Nouogardia. &c. leauynge owt the tytle of a kynge. For none of them vouche∣safeth to receaue the letters of the other augmented with any new tytle, as I knewe by experience at my being in Mosco∣uia, at which tyme Sigismundus the kynge of Polone sente hym his letters augmented with the tytle of the duke of Ma∣souia, wherwith he was not a lyttle offended.

They glorie in theyr hystories that before Uuolodimeria and Olha, the lande of Ru••sia was baptised and blessed of saynt Andrewe thappostle of Chryst, affirmynge that he came from Grecia to the mouthes of the ryuer Borysthenes: and that he sayled vppe the ryuer to the mountaynes where as is nowe Chiouia; and that there he blessed all the lande and pla¦ced his crosse, prophesyinge also that the grace of god shulde bee greate there, and that there shulde bee many churches of Chrystian men: Lykewyse that he afterwarde came to the sprynges of Borysthenes vnto the great lake Uuolok, and by the ryuer Louat descended into the lake Ilmer: from whense by the ryuer Uuolcon whiche runneth owte of the same lake, he came to Nouogardia: and passed frome thense by the same ryuer to the lake Ladoga and the ryuer Heua, and so vn¦to the sea whiche they caule Uuaretzkoia, beinge the same that we caule the Germayne sea, betwene Uuinlandia or Fin¦landia and Liu••nia, by the whiche he sayled to Rome, and was at the laste crucified for Chryste his gospell in Pelopon∣nesus by the tyranny of Agus Antipater, as theyr crownacles make mention.

The prynce euery seconde or thyrde yeare, causeth a mu∣ster to bee taken of the soonnes of the Boiarons, and takethe an accoumpt•• bothe of theyr number and howe many horses and men euery of them is able to make: and then appoynteth

a certeyne stypende to suche as are able further to beare theyr owne charges in the warres. They haue seldome any rest or quyetnesse. For they eyther keepe warre with the Lithuani¦ans. Liuonians, Suetians, or Tartars of Casan. Or yf it so chaunce that the prynce keepe no warre, yet dooth he yeare∣ly appoynte garrysons of .xx. thousande menne in places a∣bowt Tanais and Occa to represse the incursions and robbe∣ryes of the European Tartars cauled Precopites.

As in other matters, euen so in thorder of warrefare ther is great diuersitie amonge men. For the Moscouian as soone as he begynneth to flye, thinketh of none other succoure but putteth all his confidence therein. Beinge pursued or taken of his enemie, he neyther defendeth him selfe nor desirethe perdon.

The Tartar cast of from his horse, spoyled of al his armure & weapons, and also sore woūded, defendeth hym selfe with handes, feete, and teethe, and by all meanes he may, vntyll his strength and spirite fayle hym.

The Turke, when he seeth hym selfe destitute of all helpe and hope to escape, doth humbly desyre pardon, casting away his weapons & armure, and reching furth to the victourer his handes ioyned together to be bounde, hopynge by captiuitie to saue his lyfe.

The Moscouites in placeinge theyr armye chuse them a large playne where the best of them pytch theyr tentes & the other make thē certen arbours of bouwes fyxt in the grounde, bendyng together the toppes therof, whiche they couer with theyr clokes to defende them selues, theyr bowes, arrowes, saddyles, and other theyr necessaries from rayne. They put furth theyr horses to pasture, and for that cause haue theyr tentes so farre in sunder, which they fortifye neyther with cartes or trenches or any other impedyment, excepte per∣happes the place bee defended by nature as with wooddes, ryuers and marysshes.

It may perhappes seeme straunge howe he maynteyneth hym and hys so longe with so smaule an armye as I haue sayde. I wyll nowe therfore brefely declare theyre sparynge and frugalitie. He that hath syxe or sumtymes more horses, vseth one of them as A packe horse to beare all theyr necessa∣ryes,

eyes. He hath also in a bagge of two or three spanes longe, the floure or meale of the grayne cauled mylle: and .viii. or x. poundes weyghte of swynes flesshe poudered. He hathe lykewyse A bagge of salte, myxte with pepper if he bee ryche. Furthermore euery man caryeth with hym A hatchet, A fyre boxe, and a brasen potte: so that if they chaunce to coomme to any place where they can fynde no frutes, garlyke, onyons or flesshe, they kyndle a fyre and fylle theyr pottes with wa¦ter wherunto they put a spoonefull of meale with a quantitie of salte, and make pottage therof, wherwith the master and all hys seruauntes lyue contented. But if the master bee very hungary he eateth all alone, and the seruantes are sumtymes inforsed to faste for the space of two or three dayes. And yf the master intende to fare sumwhat more delycately, then he addeth therto a lyttle portion of swynes flesshe. I speake not thys of the best of them, but of suche as are of the meane sorte. The gouernours and capytaynes of tharmye, doo sum¦tymes bydde the poorer sorte to theyre tables: where theye feede them selues so wel, that they fast two or three dayes af¦ter. When they haue frutes, garlyke, and onyons, theye can well forbeare all other meates. Procedynge forwarde to the battayle, they put more confydence in theyr multitude, and with what greate armyes they assayle theyr enemyes, thē eyther in the strengthe and valyantenesse of theyr souldyers, or in well instructynge theyr armye: and fyght better afarre of, then at hande: and therfore study howe to circumuent or inclose theyr enemyes and to assayle them on the backe halfe.

They haue many trumpiters: The which whyle they blow all at once after theyr maner, make A meruelous straunge noyse. They haue also an other kynde of instrumentes which they caule Szurna. These they blowe withowte seasynge for the space of an houre togither, so temperyng the same and holdyng in the wynd whyle they drawe more, that the noyse seemeth continuall withoute intermyssion.

They vse all one maner of appareyle: as longe coates withowte pleyghtes and with narrowe sleaues after the ma¦ner of the Hungaryans. These the Christians vse to butten on the ryght syde: and the Tartars (vsinge the lyke) butten them on the lefte syde. They weare redde and shorte buskyns that reache not to theyr knees: and haue the soules therof de∣fended

with plates of Iren. In maner all theyr shyrtes are wroughte with dyuers colours aboute the necke: and haue the collars and ruffes bysette with lyttle rounde baules lyke beades, of syluer or gylted copper, and sumtyme perles also. They gyrde them selues beneth the bellye euen as lowe as theyr priuy members, that they may seme more boorely which they greately esteme, as doo at thys day the Spanyardes, I¦talyans, and Almaynes.

The prouince of Moscouia is neyther very large nor frut¦full, forasmuche as the fertylytye is hyndered with sandye grounde which eyther with to muche drynesse or moyster kyl∣leth the corne. Furthermore the immoderate and sharpe vn∣temperatenesse of the ayre while the coulde of the wynter o∣uercommethe the heate of the soonne, sumtymes dothe not suffer the corne to rype. For the coulde is there sumtyme so ex¦treame, that lyke as with vs in sommer by reason of heate, euen so there by extreame coulde the yearth hath many great chynkes or breaches. Water also cast into the ayre, and spet¦tle faulyng from ons mouthe, are frosen before they touche the grounde. I my selfe, when I came thether in the yeare 1526. sawe the braunches of frutefull trees wythyred by the coulde of the wynter before, which was so extreame that ma¦ny of theyr wagoners or caries (whom they caule Gonecz) were founde frosen to deathe in theyr sleades. There were sum that at the same tyme leadyng and dryuyng theyr cat∣tayle from the nexte villagies to Moscouia, dyed by the way with theyr beastes through thextremytie of the coulde. Fur¦thermore, the same yeare many players that were accustomed to wander aboute the contrey with daunsyng beares, were founde dead in the high wayes. Wylde beares also inforced therto by famyn, lefte the wooddes and ranne here and there into dyuers villagies and houses: At whose commyng while the men of the countrey forsooke theyr houses and fledd into the fieldes, manye of them perysshed throughe the vehemen¦cie of the coulde. Agayne, it sumtymes so chaunceth that in sommer the heate is as extreame: as in the yeare .1525. in the which almost al kynds of pulse and grayne were scorched and burnte: and such a derth of corne folowed that drought, that that which before was bowght for three dengas, was afterwarde soulde for .xx, or .xxx. Furthermore also, ma∣nye

villagies, wooddes, and stackes of corne, were sette on fyre by thextreame heate: The smoke wherof so fylled the re∣gyon, that the eyes of many were sore hurte therby. There arose also as it were a darke and thycke myst without smoke which so molested the eys, that many loste theyr sight therby.

They sowe and narysshe the seades of melons with great diligence in certeyne raysed beddes myxte with doonge: wher¦by they fynde a remedy both ageynst extreame could and heat. For if the heate exceade, they make certeyne ryftes in the beddes as it were breathyng places least the seades shulde be suffocate with to muche heate. And if the coulde bee extreme it is tempered with the heate of the mucke or dunge.

Theyr beastes are muche lesse then owres: yet not all withowt hornes as one hath written. For I haue there sene oxen, kyne, goates, and rammes all with hornes.

Not farre from the citie of Moscha, are certeyne monaste¦ries which a farre of, seeme lyke vnto a citie. They saye that in thys citie is an incredible number of houses: And that the syxte yeare before my commynge thyther, the prince caused them to bee numbered, and founde them to bee more then one and fortye thousande and fyue hundreth houses. The citie is very large and wyde: and also very slabby and myrie. By rea¦son wherof it hath many brydges and causeys.

The ayre of the regyon is so holsome, that beyond the sprynges of Tanais, especially towarde the north and a great parte also towarde the Easte, the pestylence hath not byne harde of sence the memorye of man. Yet haue they sumtimes a disease in theyr bowells and headdes not much vnlyke the pestylence. Thys disease they caule a heate: wherwith suche as are taken, dye within fewe dayes.

Sum wryte that Iohn the duke of Moscouia and sonne of Basilius, vnder the pretence of religion sacked & spoyled, the citie of Nouogardia: and caried with hym from thense to Moscouia three hundreth sleades laden with golde, syluer, and precious stones of the gooddes of the Archebysshoppe, the marchauntes, citisins, and straungiers.

Solowki is an Ilande situate in the north sea .viii. leaques from the continent betwen: Dwina and the province of Corela. Howe farre it is dystant from Moscouia, can not bee well knowne by reason of manye sennes, marysshes,

Wooddes, and desolate places lyinge in the way. Albeit, sū say that it is not three hundreth leaques from Moscouia, & two hundreth frome Bieloiesero. In thys Ilande is made greate plenty of salte: and it hath in it a monasterie into the which it is not lawfull for any woman or virgyn to enter.

There is also great fysshyng for hearyng. They say that here the soonne at the sommer Equinoctiall, shyneth continually excepte two houres.

Demetriowe, is a citie with a castel, distante from Moscouia xii. leaques declining from the west sumwhat toward the north. By this runneth the ryuer Lachroma that runneth in to the ryuer of Sest. Sest also receaueth the ryuer Dubna which vnladeth it selfe in Uolga. And by the commoditie of thus many ryuers, many riche marchaundies are browght without great laboure or difficultie from the caspian sea by the ryuer Uolga to Moscouia and dyuers other prouynces & cities abowte the same.

Bieloiesero, a citie with a castell, is situat at a lake of the same name. For Bieloiesero in the Moscouites toung, signi¦fieth a white lake. The citie standeth not in the lake as sum haue sayd. Yet is it so enuironed with marysshes that it may seeme to bee inexpugnable: In consideration wherof, the prin¦ces of Moscouia are accustomed to keepe theyr treasure there. Bieloiesero is from Moscouia, a hundreth leaques, and as muche from Nouogardia the great. The lake it selfe, is .xii. leaques in length and as much in breadth: and hath (as they say) three hundreth ryuers faulynge into it. Thinhabitaun∣tes of this place, haue a peculyar language, although nowe in maner all speake the Moscouites tounge. The longest day here in the soommer Equinoctial, is sayde to consyste of .xix. houres. A man of greate name and credite toulde me, that at the begynnyng of the sprynge when the trees began nowe to bee greene, he wente in poste from Moscouia to Bieloiesero: And passynge ouer the ryuer Uolga, founde the region there so couered with Ise and snow, that he was fayne to dispatch the residue of his iorney on fleades. And although the wyn∣ter bee longer there, yet doo the frutes waxe rype and are ga∣thered euen at the same tyme that they are in Moscouia. With in an arrowe shotte of the lake, there is an other lake that bryngeth furth brymstone. which a certē ryuer running owt of

the same, caryeth with it in great quantitie flotyng aboue the water lyke a scoomme. Yet through the ignorance of the peo¦ple, they haue no commoditie therby.

The people that inhabite the regions lyinge farre northe and east from Moscouia, exchaunge theyr furres for apparel, knyues, needles, spoones, hatchets, and suche at her necessa¦rye wares. For they haue not the vse of golde and syluer.

Notes

• Russia.
• The browne colour of the Russes.
• Rossei••.
• The Slauon tounge spre••¦d••th farre.
• Uandales.
• The P••inces of Russia.
• The duke of Moscouia.
• why the duke of Mo••couia was cauled an Emperour
• The greate Turke.
• The whyte kynge.
• The duke of Mo••couia his ty••le.
• Russia bapty∣sed by saynte Andrewe the Apostle.
• The Mosco∣uites warres
• Dyuers ma∣ners of dy∣uers people in the ware.
• The Mosco∣uytes army.
• howe he maynteyneth his army.
• Instruments of warre.
• The Mosco∣uites and Tartars ap∣parell.
• The prouince of Moscouia.
• Extreme coulde.
• Extreme heate in cold regions.
• Lyttle beastes.
• The citie of Mo••couia or Mosca.
• holsome ayer.
• A ryche spoyle.
• The ••land of Solowki.
• Bieloiesero.
• The lengthe of the day.
• The trade from Mosco∣couia to the Caspian sea.
• Bieloiesero or the whyte lakes.
• Diuersitie of temperament in smaul dy∣stance.
• A lake of brymstone.
• Exchange of furres for o∣ther ware.