Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
- Page 192 of 258 - First - Home
But In A Set Field The Russe Is Noted To Haue Euer
The Worse Of The Polonian And Sweden.
[Sidenote: Reward for valure.] If any behaue himselfe more valiantly then
the rest, or do any special piece of seruice, the Emperor sendeth him a
piece of golde, stamped with the Image of Saint George on horsebacke:
Which
they hang on their sleeues, and set in their caps. And this is accounted
the greatest honour they can receiue, for any seruice they doe.
Of their Colonies, and maintaining of their conquests, or purchases by
force.
The Russe Emperors of late yeres haue very much enlarged their dominions,
and territories. Their first conquest after the Dukedome of Mosco, (for
before that time they were but Dukes of Volodomer, as before was said) was
the citie, and Dukedome of Nouogrod on the West, and Northwest side: which
was no smal enlargement of their dominion, and strengthening to them for
the winning of the rest. This was done by Iuan great grandfather to Theodor
now Emperor, about the yere 1480. The same began likewise to encroach vpon
the countries of Lituania and Liuonia, but the conquest only intended, and
attempted by him vpon some part of those countries, was pursued and
performed by his sonne Basileus, who first wan the citie and dukedom of
Plesko, afterwards the citie and dukedome of Smolensco, and many other
faire towns, with a large territory belonging vnto them, about the yere
1514. [Sidenote: 1580.] These victories against the Lettoes or Lituanians
in the time of Alexander their duke, he atchieued rather by aduantage of
ciuil dissentions, and treasons among themselues, then by any great
policie, or force of his own. But al this was lost againe by his son Iuan
Vasiliwich about 8 or 9 yeres past, vpon composition with the Polonian king
Stephan Batore: whereunto he was forced by the aduantages which the Pole
had then of him, by reason of the foile he had giuen him before, and the
disquietnes of his own state at home. Onely the Russe Emperor, at this time
hath left him on that side his countery, the cities of Smolensco, Vobsco,
Chernigo, and Bealagorod in Lituania. In Liuonia, not a towne nor one foot
of ground.
[Sidenote: Lituania.] When Basilius first conquered those countries, he
suffered then the natiues to keepe their possessions, and to inhabite all
their townes, onely paying him a tribute, vnder the gouernment of his Russe
Captaines. But by their conspiracies and attempts not long after, he was
taught to deale more surely with them. And so comming vpon them the second
time, he killed and caried away with him, three parts of foure, which he
gaue or sold to the Tartars that serued him in those wars, and in stead of
them placed there his Russes, so many, as might ouermatch the rest, with
certaine garisons of strength besides. Wherein notwithstanding this
ouersight was committed, for that (taking away with him the vpland, or
countrey people that should haue tilled the ground, and might easily haue
bene kept in order without any danger, by other good policies) he was
driuen afterwards many yeres together, to vitaile the countrey (specially
the great townes) out of his owne countrey of Russia, the soile lying there
in the meane while wast and vntilled.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 192 of 258
Words from 100437 to 100990
of 136233