And they told me (supposing that I
had beleeued them) that he healeth many diseases, and giueth the blind
their sight, with many other miracles, but I was hard of belief because I
saw him worke no miracle whilest I was there.
After this they brought me into their sellers, and made me taste of diuers
kinds of drinks, both wine and beere, mead and quassie, of sundry colours
and kinds. Such abundance of drink as they haue in their sellers, I doe
suppose few princes haue more, or so much at once.
Their barrels or vessels are of an vnmeasurable bignes and sise: some of
them are 3. yards long and more, and 2. yards and more broad in their
heads: they conteine 6. or 7. tunnes a piece: they haue none in their
sellers of their owne making that are lesse then a tunne. They haue 9. or
10. great vautes which are full of those barrels which are seldome
remooued: for they haue trunks which come downe through the roofe of the
vautes in sundry places, through which they powre drinke downe, hauing the
caske right vnder it to receiue the same, for it should be a great trouble
to bring it all downe the stayres.
[Sidenote: The hospitalitie of their monasteries.] They giue bread, meat
and drinke vnto all men that come to them, not onely while they are at
their abbey, but also when they depart, to serue them by the way.
There are a great number of such monasteries in the Realm, and the Emperors
maiesty rideth oftentimes from one to another of them, and lieth at them 3.
or 4. daies together.
The same monkes are as great merchants as any in the land of Russia, and
doe occupy buying and selling as much as any other men, and haue boats
which passe too and fro in the riuers with merchandize from place to place
where any of their countrey do traffike.
They eate no flesh during their liues as it is reported: but vpon Sunday,
Munday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday it is lawfull for them to eate
egges, butter, cheese, and milke, and at all times to eate fish, and after
this sort they lead their liues.
They weare all blacke garments, and so doe none other in all the lande, but
at that abbey onely.
[Sidenote: Want of preachers cause of great ignorance and idolatry.] They
haue no preachers no not one in al the land to instruct the People, so that
there are many, and the most part of the poore in the countrey, who if one
aske them how many gods there be, they wil say a great many, meaning that
euery image which they haue is a god:
