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: for all the countrey and the
Emperours maiesty himselfe wil blesse and bowe, and knocke their heads
before their images, in so much that they will crie earnestly unto their
images to helpe them to the things which they need.
