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18 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
his fervice at meat it came in without order, yet it was very rich fervice: for all were
ferved in gold, not only he himfelf, but alfo all the reft of us, and it was very mafly:
the cups alfo were of gold, andvery mafly. The number that dined there that day was
two hundred perfons, and all were ferved in golden veflels. The gentlemen that waited
were all in cloth of gold, and they ferved him with their caps on their heads. Before
the fervice came in the duke fent to every man a great fhiver of bread, and the bearer
called the party fo fent to by his name aloud, and faid, John Bafiliuich, emperor of
Ruffia and great duke of Mofcovia, doth reward thee with bread: then muft all men
ftand up, and do at all times when thefe words are fpoken. And then laft of all he
giveth the marfhall bread, whereof he eateth before the duke’s grace, and fo doth re-
verence and departeth. ‘Then cometh the duke’s fervice of the fwans, all in pieces,
and every one in a feveral difh: the which the duke fendeth as he did the bread, and
the bearer faith the fame words as he faid before. And as I faid before, the fervice of
his meat is in no order, but cometh in difh by difh: and then after that the duke
fendeth drink, with the like faying as before is told. _Alfo before dinner he changed his
crown, and in dinner time two crowns; fo that I faw three feveral crowns upon his
head in one day. And thus when his fervice was all come in, he gave to every one of
his gentlemen waiters meat with his own hand, and fo likewife drink. His intent
thereby is, as 1 have heard, that every man fhall know perfectly his fervants. Thus when
dinner is done, he calleth his nobles before him name by name, that itis wonder to hear
how he could name them, having fo many as he hath. Thus when dinner was done, I
departed to my lodging, which was an hour within night. I will leave this, and fpeak
no more of him nor his houfehold: but I will fomewhat declare of his land and people,
with their nature and power in the wars. ‘This duke is lord and emperor of man
countries, and his power is marvellous great; for he is able to bring into the field two
or three hundred thoufand men: he never goeth into the field himfelf with under two
hundred thoufand men: and when he goeth himfelf he furnifheth his borders all with
men of war, which are no fmall number. He leaveth on the borders of Liefland forty
thoufand men, and upon the borders of Letto fixty thoufand men, and toward the Na-
gayan Tartars fixty thoufand, which is wonder to hear of: yet doth he never take to
his wars neither hufbandmen nor merchant. All his men are horfemen: he ufeth no
footmen, but fuch as go with the ordinance and labourers, which are thirty thoufand.
‘The horfemen are all archers, with fuch bows as the Turks have, and they ride fhort as
do the Turks. ‘Their armour isa coat of plate, with a fkull on their heads. Some of
their coats are covered with velvet or cloth of gold; their defire is to be fumptuous in
the field, and efpecially the nobles and gentlemen: as | have heard their trimming is
very coftly, and partly I have feen it, or elfe I would fcarcely have believed it > but the
duke himfelf is richly attired above all meafure; his pavilion is covered either with
cloth of gold or filver, and fo fet with ftones, that itis wonderful to fee it. Ihave feen
the king’s majefty’s of England, and the French king’s pavilions, which are fair, yet
not like unto his. And when they be fent into far or ftrange countries, or that ftrangers
come to them, they be very gorgeous: elfe the duke himfelf goeth but meanly in ap-
parel ; and when he goeth betwixt one place and another, he is but reafonably appa-
relled over other times. In the while that I was in Mofco the duke fent two ambafladors
to the king of Poland, which had at the leaft five hundred horfes; their fumptuouinefs
was above meafure, not only in themfelves, but alfo in their horfes, as velvet, cloth of
gold, and cloth of filver, fet with pearls and not feant. What fhall I farther fay? I
never heard of nor faw men fo fumptuous ; but it is no daily guife, for when they have
not
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