North Eastern Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 3 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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They Fight Not On Foote, But
Altogether On Horsebacke:
Their armour is a coate of maile, and a helmet:
the coate of maile without is gilded, or els adorned with silke, although
it pertaine to a common soldier:
They haue a great pride in shewing their
wealth: they vse bowes, and arrowes, as the Turks do: they cary lances also
into the field. They ride with a short stirrop, after the maner of the
Turks: They are a kinde of people most sparing in diet, and most patient in
extremitie of cold, aboue all others. For when the ground is couered with
snowe, and is growen terrible and hard with the frost, this Russe hangs vp
his mantle, or souldiers coate, against that part from whence the winde and
Snowe driues, and so making a little fire, lieth downe with his backe
towards the weather: this mantle of his serues him for his bed, wall, house
and all: his drinke is colde water of the riuer, mingled with oatemeale,
and this is all his good cheere, and he thinketh himselfe well, and
daintily fedde therewith, and so sitteth downe by his fire, and vpon the
hard ground, rosteth as it were his wearie sides thus daintily stuffed: the
hard ground is his feather bed, and some blocke or stone his pillow: and as
for his horse, he is as it were a chamberfellow with his master, faring
both alike. How iustly may this barbarous, and rude Russe condemne the
daintinesse and nicenesse of our Captaines, who liuing in a soile and aire
much more temperate, yet commonly vse furred boots, and clokes?
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