Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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And Therefore After Dinner There Is No Talking
With Them, But Euery Man Goeth To His Bench To Take His Afternoones Sleepe,
Which Is As Ordinary With Them As Their Nights Rest.
When they exceede, and
haue varietie of dishes, the first are their baked meates (for roste meates
they vse little) and then their broathes or pottage.
Their common drinke is
Mead, the poorer sort vse water and a third drinke called Quasse, which is
nothing else (as we say) but water turned out of his wits, with a litle
branne meashed with it.
This diet would breed in them many diseases, but that they vse bathstoues
or hote houses in steade of all Phisicke, commonly twise or thrise euery
weeke. All the winter time, and almost the whole Semmer, they heat their
Peaches, which are made like the Germane bathstoues, and their Poclads like
ouens, that so warme the house that a stranger at the first shall hardly
like of it. These two extremities, specially in the winter of heat within
their houses, and of extreame cold without, together with their diet, make
them of a darke, and sallow complexion, their skinnes being tanned and
parched both with cold and with heate: specially the women, that for the
greater part are of farre worse complexions, then the men. Whereof the
cause I take to be their keeping within the hote houses, and busying
themselues about the heating, and vsing of their bathstoues, and peaches.
The Russe because that he is vsed to both these extremities of heat and of
cold, can beare them both a great deale more patiently, then strangers can
doe. [Sidenote: An admirable induring of extreme heat and colde at one and
the same time.] You shall see them sometimes (to season their bodies) come
out of their bathstoues all on a froth, and fuming as hoat almost as a
pigge at a spit, and presently to leape into the riuer starke naked, or to
powre colde water all ouer their bodies and that in the coldest of all the
winter time. The women to mende the bad hue of their skinnes vse to paint
their faces with white and red colours, so visibly, that euery man may
perceiue it. Which is made no matter because it is common and liked well by
their husbands: who make their wiues and daughters an ordinarie allowance
to buy them colours to paint their faces withall, and delight themselues
much to see them of fowle women to become such faire images. Thin parcheth
the skinne, and helpeth to deforme them when their pinting is of.
They apparell themselues after the Greeke manner. [Sidenote: The Noblemans
attire.] The Noblemans attire is on this fashion. First a Taffia, or little
nightcappe on the head, that couereth litle more then his crowne, commonly
verie rich wrought of silke and golde threede, and set with pearle and
precious stone. His head he keepeth shauen close to the very skinne, except
he be in some displeasure with the Emperour. Then hee suffereth his haire
to growe and hang downe vpon his shoulders, couering his face as ugly and
deformedly as he can. Ouer the Taffia hee weareth a wide cappe of blacke
Foxe (which they account for the best furre) with a Tiara or long bonnet
put within it, standing vp like a Persian or Babilonian hatte. About his
necke (which is seene all bare) is a coller set with pearle and precious
stone, about three or foure fingers broad. Next ouer his shirt, (which is
curiously wrought, because he strippeth himselfe into it in the Sommer
time, while he is within the house) is a Shepon, or light garment of silke,
made downe to the knees, buttoned before: and then a Caftan or a close coat
buttoned, and girt to him with a Persian girdle, whereat he hangs his
kniues and spoone. This commonly is of cloth of gold, and hangeth downe as
low as his ankles. Ouer that he weareth a lose garment of some rich silke,
furred and faced about with some golde lace, called a Ferris. An other ouer
that of chainlet, or like stufle called an Alkaben, sleeued and hanging
lowe, and the cape commonly brooched, and set all with pearle. When hee
goeth abroad, he casteth ouer all these (which are but sleight, though they
seeme to be many) an other garment tailed an Honoratkey, like to the
Alkaben, saue that it is made without a coller for the necke. And this is
commonly of fine cloth or Camels haire. His buskins (which he weareth in
stead of hose, with linnen folles vnder them in stead of boot hose) are
made of a Persian leather called Saphian, embrodered with pearle. His vpper
stockes commonly are of cloth of golde. When he goeth abroad, hee mounteth
on horsebacke, though it be but to the next doore: which is the maner also
of the Boiarskey, or Gentlemen.
[Sidenote: The Gentlemans apparel.] The Boiarskey or Gentlemans attire is
of the same fashion, but differeth in stuffe: and yet he will haue his
Caftan or vndercoat sometimes of cloth of golde, the rest of cloth, or
silke.
[Sidenote: The Noble woman's attire.] The Noble woman (called Chyna
Boiarshena) weareth on her head, first a cauil of some soft silke (which is
commonly redde) and ouer it a fruntlet called Obrosa, of white colour. Ouer
that her cappe (made after the coife fashion of cloth of gold) called
Shapka Zempska, edged with some rich furre, and set with pearle and stone.
Though they haue of late begunne to disdaine embrodering with pearle aboue
their cappes, because the Diacks, and some Marchants wiues haue taken vp
the fashion. In their ears they weare earerings (which they call Sargee) of
two inches or more compasse, the matter of gold set with Rubies or
Saphires, or some like precious stone. In Sommer they goe often with
kerchiefffes of fine white lawne, or cambricke, fastned vnder the chinne,
with two long tassels pendent.
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