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34 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
amale iffue. For although his daughters be never fo many, yet no part of that inherit-
ance comes to them, except peradventure the Emperor of his goodnefs give fome por-
tion of the land amongft them, to beftow them withal. As for the man, whofoever he:
be, that is in this fort rewarded by the Emperor’s liberality, he is bound in a great fum
to maintain fo many foldiers for the war when need fhall require, as that land, in the
opinion of the Emperor, is able to maintain. And all thofe to whom any land falls by
inheritance are in no better condition ; for if they die without any male iflue, all their
lands fall into the hands of the emperor. And, moreover, if there be any rich man
amongft them, who in his own perfon is unfit for the wars, and yet hath fuch
wealth, that thereby many noblemen and warriors might be maintained, if any of the
courtiers prefent his name to the Emperor, the unhappy man is by-and-bye fent for, and
in that inftant deprived of all his riches, which with great pains and travail all his life-
time he hath gotten together ; except perhaps fome fmall portion thereof be left him to
maintain his wife, children, and family. But all this is done of all the people fo willingly
at the Emperor’s commandment, that a man would think they rather make reftitution
of other men’s goods, than give that which is their own to other men. Now the em-
peror having taken thefe goods into his hands, beftoweth them among his courtiers
according to their deferts ; and the oftener that a man is fent to the wars, the more
favour he thinketh is borne to him by the Emperor, although he go upon his own charge,
as I faid before ; fo great is the obedience of all men generally to their prince.
Of the ambaffadors of the Emperor of Mofcovy.
The Mofcovite, with no lefs pomp and magnificence than that which we have fpoken
of, fends his ambafladors to foreign princes in the affairs of eftate. For while our men
were abiding in the city of Mofco, there were two ambaffadors fent to the King of Poland, -
accompanied with five hundred notable horfes, and the greater part of the men were
arrayed in cloth of gold, and of filk, and the worlt apparel was of garments of blue
colour, to fpeak nothing of the trappings of the horfes, which were adorned with gold
and filver, and very curioufly embroidered: they had alfo with them one hundred
white and fair fpare horfes, to ufe them at fuch times as any wearinefs came upon them.
But now the time requireth me to {peak briefly of other cities of the Mofcovites, and of
the wares and commodities that the country yieldeth.
Novogorode.
Next unto Mofco, the city of Novogorode is reputed the chiefe(t of Ruffia; for al-
though it be in majelty inferior to it, yet in greatnefs it goeth beyond it. It is the chiefeft
and greatelt mart town of all Mofcovy : and albeit the Emperor’s feat is not there, but
at Mofco, yet the commodioufnefs of the river, falling into that gulf, which is called
Sinus Finnicus, whereby it is well frequented by merchants, makes it more famous than
Motco itfelf. This town excels all the reft in the commodities of flax and hemp: it
yields alfo hides, honey, and wax. ‘The Flemings there fometimes hada houfe of mer-
chandife, but by reafon that they ufed the like ill-dealing there, which they did with us,
they loft their privileges, a reftitution whereof they earnettly fued for at the time that our
men were there. But thofe Flemings hearing of the arrival of our men in thofe parts,
wrote their letters to the Emperor again{ft them, accufing them for pirates and rovers,
wifhing him to detain andimprifonthem. Which things when they were known of our
men, they conceived fear that they fhould never have returned home. But the Emperor
believing
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