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38 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
bition that they may eat no flefh, and therefore their meat is only falt fifh, milk, and but-
ter; neither is it permitted them by the laws and cuftoms of their religion to eat any frefh
fifh at all; and at thofe four fafting times whereof we fpake before, they eat no fifh at
all, only they live with herbs and cucumbers, which they do continually for that pur-
pole caufe and take order to grow and fpring, for their ufe and diet.
As for their drink, it is very weak and {mall. For the difcharge of their office, they
do.every day fay fervice, and that early in the morning before day ; and they do in fuch
fort, and with fuch obfervation, begin their fervice, that they will be fure to make an
end of it before day and about nine of the clock in the morning they celebrate the
communion. When they have fo done they go to dinner, and after dinner they go again
to fervice, and the like alfo after fupper; and in the mean time while they are at dinner,
there is fome expofition or interpretation of the gofpel ufed.
Whenfoever any abbot of any monaftery dieth, the emperor taketh all his houfehold
ftuff, beatts, flocks of fheep, gold, filver, and all that he hath ; or elfe he that is to fucceed
him in his place and dignity doth redeem all thofe things, and buyeth them of the em-
peror for money.
Their churches are built of timber, and the towers of their churches, for the moft
part, are covered with fhingle boards. At the doors of their churches they ufually
build fome entrance or porch, as we do; and in their churchyards they ereé& a certain
-houfe of wood, wherein they fet up their bells, wherein fometimes they have but one,
in fome two, and in fome alfo three.
There is one ufe and cuftom amongft them which is ftrange and rare, but yet it is
very ridiculous, and that is this: when any man dieth amongft them, they take the dead
body and put it in a coffin or cheft, and in the hand of the corpfe they put a little ferowl,
and in the fame there are thefe words written, that the fame man died a Ruffle of Ruffles,
having received the faith, and died in the fame. This writing or letter, they fay, they
fend to St. Peter, who receiving it (as they affirm) reads it, and by-and-bye admits him
into heaven, and that his glory and place is higher and greater than the glory of the
chriftians of the Latin church, reputing themfelves to be followers of a more fincere
faith and religion than they: they hold opinion that we are but half chriftians, and
themfelves only to be the true and perfect church. ‘Thefe are the foolifh and childifh
dotages of fuch ignorant barbarians.
Of the Mofcovites that are idolaters, dwelling near to Tartaria.
There is a certain part of Mofcovy, bordering upon the countries of the Tartars,
wherein thofe Mofcovites that dwell are very great idolaters. They have one famous
idol amongft them, which they call the golden old wife ; and they have a cuftom that
whenfoever any plague or any calamity doth afflict the country, as hunger, war, or fuci
like, then they go to confult ‘with their idol, which they do after this manner: they fall
down proftrate before the idol, and pray unto it, and put in the prefence of the fame a
cymbal ; and about the fame certain perfons ftand, which are chofen amongft them by
lot ; upon their cymbal they place a filver toad, and found the cymbal, and to whom-
foever of thofe lotted perfons that toad goeth, he is taken and by and by flain; and im-
mediately, I know not by what illufions of the devil or idol, he is again reftored to life,
and then doth reveal and deliver the caufes of the prefent calamity. And by this means
knowing how to pacify the idol, they are delivered from the imminent danger.
of
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