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Gra COXE’S TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.
During the ufurpation of Cromwell, Alexéy maintained a conftant correfpondence
with the exiled Charles. He was accuftomed to declare, that all monarchs ought to
efteem the caufe of Charles I. as their own, and fhould not, by countenancing an
ufurper, encourage fubjects to rebel againft their King. [n.conformity to thefe fenti-
ments he refufed, for fome time*, to hold any intercourfe with the Protector; and
thefe archives contain no letters between Cromwell and the Tzar.
The reftoration of Charles Il. renewed the harmony between the two courts; and
as from this interval the difpatches received from England were fo numerous as to re-
quire feveral days to examine them with attention, | was compelled to retire without
fatisfying my curiofity. Thefe papers, containing a complete hiltorical feries of the
alliances, connection, correfpondence, and commerce, between Ruffia and England,
would form an interefting publication, if printed in chronological order, and inter{perfed
with hiftorical obfervations.
I had {carcely time to glance over the numerous ftate-papers which relate to the other
European powers; but the keeper of the archives did not omit pointing out to me one
document of great importance in the hiftory of Ruffia: I allude to the famous letter,
written in the German tongue t, from Maximilian I., Emperor of Germany, to Vaffili
Ivanovitch, confirming a treaty of alliance again{ft Sigifmond, King of Poland. This
difpatch, dated Augult the 4th, 1514, and ratified with the feal of the golden bull, is
remarkable, becaufe Maximilian addrefles Vaflili by calling him Kay/er und Herrfcher
aller Rufflen; Emperor and Ruler of all the Ruffias. ‘This deed, difcovered by Baron
Shavirof in the archives in the beginning of this century, firft fuggefted to Peter the idea
of afluming the title of Emperor. ‘The claim gave rife to various negociations, and oc-
cafioned a curious controverfy among the learned, concerning the rife and progrefs of
the titles by which the monarchs of this country have been diftinguifhed. The early
fovereigns of Ruffia were called Great Dukes ; and Vaffili Ivanovitch | was probably the
firft who ftyled himfelf Tzar, an expreflion which, in the Sclavonian language, fignifies
King ;_ his fucceflors continued to bear within their own dominions that title as the moft
honourable appellation, until Peter the Great firft took that of Povélitel, or Emperor.
It is neverthelefs as certain, that the foreign courts §, in their intercourfe with that. of
Mofcow, ftyled the fovereign indifcriminately Great Duke, Tzar, and Emperor ||.
With refpect to England, in Chancellor’s Account of Ruffia, Ivan Vaffilievitch II. was
called Lord and Emperor of all Ruffia; and in the Englifh difpatches, from the reign
of Elizabeth to that of Anne, the fovereign was generally addreffed under the fame ap-
pellation. We may at the fame time remark, that when the European powers ftyled
the Tzar Emperor of Mufcovy, they by no means intended to give him a title fimilar
* T fay for fome time; for although, if I rightly remember, thefe archives contain no difpatches between
the Tzar and Cromwell, yet it is certain, that afterwards Alexéy maintained a correfpondence with the
Protector, and had once comfented to receive his ambaffadors at Mofcow. See the chapter on the Rife
and Progrefs of the Englifh trade to Ruffia.
+ The reader will find a copy of the original German in Weber’s Verandertes Rufsland, vel. i. p. 3573
and a faithful tranflation in Perry’s State of Ruffia, p. 258.
} The appellation of ‘’zar was not taken, as fome authors fuppofe, from the Tartars, when Ivan con-
guered Cafan, for the Prince of Cafan was called Khan.
§ This is afferted upon the pofitive teltimony of Herberftein; and his authority is unqueftionable, be-
eaufe, as he was twice ambaflador to Mofcow the firft time to Vaffili Ivanovitch, and afterwards to Ivan
Vaffilievitch IT,, he muft have been acquainted with the titles borne by thefe two fovereigns. Other authors
fuppofe, that his fon Ivan was the firft who afflumed the title of Tzar.
|| According to Mayerberg, the title of Alexéy Michaelovitch, prefixed to his code of laws, was ‘* T’zary
et Magnus Dux totius Ruflie Autocrator.” Iter in Mof. p. 113.
I to
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