I Therefore Endeavoured To Procure An Answer About My Departure,
And Solicited A Second Audience For That Purpose.
On this occasion I was
very politely received by the grand duke, accompanied by three of his
principal barons.
At first they expatiated at some length on the subject
of John Baptista, formerly mentioned; but at length I received liberty to
remain or to depart as I thought proper. They dismissed me with this
vague answer, and the grand duke set out from Moscow soon afterwards. I
owed a great deal of money to Marcus, which he had expended for me and my
people, as he had defrayed the whole expences of our journey, and had
supplied me with many things of which I stood in need. I requested
permission from him to go away, giving him the most solemn assurance that
I would transmit full payment to him immediately after my arrival at
Venice. But he declared this was not in his power, as he was under the
necessity of repaying the Tartarian and Russian merchants, who had
advanced all these things for us, and to whom he had become security for
payment. Finding every application to the duke and Marcus on this subject
ineffectual, as I could not procure the necessary funds for my journey
from either, I was under the necessity of sending Stephen Testa to Venice,
to solicit a remittance from our illustrious senate, by which I might be
enabled to pay my debts. Stephen left Moscow on the 7th of October,
accompanied by one _Nicolas Leopolitain_[5], who knew the country.
I became acquainted at Moscow with one Triphon, a goldsmith, a native of
Ascravia or Cathara, who was employed in making several articles of
silver plate for the grand duke. I likewise formed acquaintance with a
very ingenious architect of Bologna, named Aristotle, who was building a
new church in the market-place. As the house in which I lodged was small
and disagreeable, I went to live with this person by the advice of Marcus:
But I was soon after obliged to change my quarters by order from court,
to a house near the castle, in which I remained for the rest of my stay
at Moscow. This city, which is the capital of the Russian dominions, and
the residence of the grand duke, or sovereign, is built on a small
elevation, on the banks of the Mosqua, over which there are several
bridges; the castle and all the houses of the city being built of wood,
which is procured from several thick forests near the place. The soil of
this country is fertile, and produces abundance of corn of all kinds,
which sell here much cheaper than with us; The country abounds in cattle
and swine, and with incredible numbers of poultry, ducks, geese, and
hares; but they have no venison, either because there are no deer, or
because the natives are ignorant of the art of taking them. But they have
no vines, and their only fruits are cucumbers, wild apples, and nuts.
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