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TO THE NORTHERN PARTS OF RUSSIA AND SIBERIA. 31
the mean time to keep it, in their going up only from their cabins to the hatches, had
their breath oftentimes fo fuddenly taken away, that they often fell down as men very
near dead, {o great is the fharpnefs of that cold climate: but as for the fouth parts of
the country, they are f{omewhat more temperate.
Of Mofco the chief city of the kingdom, and of the Emperor thereof.
It remaineth that a larger difcourfe be made of Mofco, the principal city of that
country, and of the prince alfo, as before we have promifed. The empire and govern-
ment of the king is very large, and his wealth at this time exceeding great. And be-
caufe the city of Mofco is the chiefeft of ail the reft, it feemeth of itfelf to challenge
the firft place in this difcourfe. Our men fay, that in bignefs it is as great as the city
of London with the fuburbs thereof. There are many and great buildings in it, but
for beauty and fairnefs, nothing comparable to ours. There are many towns and
villages alfo, but built out of order, and with no handfomenefs: their ftreets and ways
are not paved with {tone as ours are: the walls of their houfes are of wood: the roofs
for the moft part are covered with fhingle boards. There is hard by the city avery fair
caftle, ftrong, and furnifhed with artillery, whereunto the city is joined directly towards
the north, with a brick wall: the walls alfo ofthe caftle are built with brick, and are
in breadth or thicknefs eighteen feet. This caftle hath on the one fide a dry ditch, on
the other fide the river Mofcua, whereby it is made almoft inexpugnable. The fame
Mofcua trending towards the eaft doth admit into it the company of the river Occa.
In the caftle aforefaid, there are in number nine churches, or chaples, not alto-
gether unhandfome, which are ufed and kept by certain religious men, over whom
there is after a fort, a patriarch, or governor, and with him other reverend fathers, all.
which for the greater part, dwell within the caftle. As for the king’s court and palace,
it is not of the neateft, only in form it is four fquare, and of low building, much fur-
paffed and excelled by the beauty and elegance of the houfes of the kings of England.
‘The windows are very narrowly built, and fome of them by glafs, fome other by
lattices admit the light : and whereas the palaces of our princes are decked and adorned
with hangings of cloth of gold, there is none fuch there: they build and join to all
their walls benches, and that not only in the court of the emperor, but in all pri-
vate men’s houfes. .
Now after that they had remained about twelve days in the city, there was then amef-.
fenger fent untothem, to bring them to the king’s houfe: and they being after a fort
wearied with their long flay, were very ready and willing fo todo: and being entered
within the gates of the court, there fat a very honourable company of courtiers, to the
number of one hundred, all apparelled in cloth of gold, down to their ancles : and there
hence being conducted into the chamber of prefence, our men began to wonderat the
majefty of the emperor : his feat was aloft, in a very royal throne, having on his head
a diadem, or crown of gold, apparelled with a robe all of goldfmith’s work, and in:
his-hand he held a fceptre garnifhed and befet with precious {tones : and befides . all
other notes and appearances of honour, there was a majefty in his countenance pro-
portionable with the excellency of his eftate: on the one fide of him ftood his chief
fecretary, onthe other fide, the great commander of filence, both of them arrayed alfo.
in cloth of gold ; and then there fat the council of one hundred and fifty in number,
allin like fort arrayed, and of great ftate. This fo honourable an aflembly, fogreat a
majefty of the emperor, and of the place might very well have amazed our men, and
- have.
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