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COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA, 605
the real, though not the oftenfible fovereign of his country, as his fon held the reins of
government under his direction. He was invelted with the adminiftration of affairs ;
his name was frequently affociated in the public acts with that of the Tzar; he gave
audience to Ambafladors, and on many public occafions was permitted to take prece-
dence of his fon*. His experience, moderation, and abilities, rendered him worthy of
thefe high honours and unbounded authority ; and the profperity of Michael’s reign
proclaimed the wifdom of his face monitor. Philaretes died in 1633, in an advanced
age, regretted by his fon and the whole kingdom.
The laft of thefe patriarchs was Adrian, at whofe demife, in 1699, Peter the Great
refufed to nominate a fucceflor; and in 1721 the patriarchal dignity was formally
abolithed.
In a former chapter I obferved, that there are no feats in the Ruffian churches, the
ceremonial of the Greek worfhip requiring all perfons to ftand during the performance
of divine fervice. In this cathedral I obferved two elevated places near the fkreen, en-
clofed with rails without feats: one is appropriated to the fovereign; the other was
formerly deftined for the patriarch, whofe {tate and grandeur were not inferior to thofe
of the Tzar himfelf. Upon fome public occafion the Archbifhop of Novogorod, who
afpired to have the patriarchal dignity revived in his perfon, pointing to the place for-
merly occupied by the patriarch, remarked to Peter, ‘ Sire, that ftructure is now ufe-
lefs, will not Your Majefty order it to be removed?” Peter was filent ; but the Arch-
bifhop repeating the queftion, replied, ‘“* That place fhall not be removed, nor fhall you
fill it f.””
The Ruffians reckon eleven patriarchs from the firft eftablifhment of the dignity in
the perfon of Job, to its final abolition after the death of Adrian. Of thefe the greateft
and molt confpicuous was the celebrated Nicon ; whom, as he is the only patriarch not
interred in this cathedral, | could not mention on contemplating their tombs. — It is
hoped that no apology is neceflary for the account of a prelate, whom fome Ruflians ftill
abhor as Antichrift, and others adore asa faint; and whofe extraordinary character has
never been faithfully reprefented to the Englith reader.
Nicon was born in 1613, in a village of the government of Nifhnéi Novogorod, of
obfcure parents. He received, at the baptifmal font, the name of Nikita, which, when
he became monk, he changed to Nicon. He was educated in the convent of St. Maca-
rius, under the care of a monk. From the courfe of his ftudies, which were almoft
folely directed to the Holy Scriptures, and the exhortations of his preceptor, he imbibed,
at a very early period, the itrongeft attachment to a monatftic life, and was only pre-
vented trom following his inclination by the authority of his father. In conformity,
however, to the wifhes of his fanuly, he entered into matrimony ; and as that {tate pre-
cluded him from being admitted into a convent, he was ordained a fecular prieft.
With his wife he paffed ten years; firft as a parifh prieft in fome country village, and
afterwards at Mofcow in the fame capacity; but lofing three children, whom he tenderly
loved, his difguft for the world and his propenfity to folitude returned with redoubled
violence; and, having perfuaded his wife to take the veil, he entered into the monattic
order. He chofe for his own retreat a {mall ifland of the White-Sea, inhabited only by
a few perfons, who formed a kind of ecclefiaftical eftablifhment, as remarkable for the
aufterity of the rules as for the folitude of the fituation: twelve monks occupied fepa-
rate cells, equally diftant from each other { and from the church which ftood in the
* Schmid. Ruff. Gef. v. ii. p. 13. — Bufching. Hift. Mag. v. vii. p. 329. — Olearius.
+ From Prince Volkoniki. t Two verits, or a mile anda half,
centre
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