Of the private behaviour or qualitie of the Russe people

THe private behaviour and qualitie of the Russe people may partly be understood by that which hath been said concerning the publick state and usage of the countrey. As touching the naturall habit of their bodies, they are for the most part of a large size, and of very fleshly bodies: accounting it a grace to be somewhat grosse and burley, and therefore they nourish and spread their beards to have them long and broad. But for the most part they are very unwieldie and unactive withall. Which may be thought to come partly of the climate, and the numbnesse which they get by the cold in winter, and partly of their diet, that standeth most of roots, onions garlick, cabbage, and such like things that breed grosse humours, which they use to eat alone and with their other meats …

As for the poore Mousick and his wife they go poorly clad. The man with his Odnoratkey, or loose gown to the small of the legge, tyed together with a lace before, of course white or blue cloth, with some Shube or long wastcote of furre, or of sheepskinne under it, and his furred cap, and buskins. The poorer sort of them have their Odnoratkey, or upper garment, made of Cows hair. This is their winter habit. In the summer time commonly they wear nothing but their shirts on their backs and buskins on their legges. The woman goeth in a red or blue gown, when she maketh the best shew, and with some warm Shube of furre under it in the winter time. But in the summer, nothing but her two shirts (for so they call them) one over the other, whether they be within doors, or without. On their heads they wear caps of some coloured stuff, many of velvet, or of cloth of gold, but for the most part kerchiefs. Without ear-rings of silver or some other metall, and her crosse about her neck, you shall see no Russe woman, be she wife or maid.

As touching their behaviour, and quality otherwise, they are of reasonable capacities, if they had those means that some other nations have to train up their wits in good nurture and learning … For as themselves are very hardly and cruelly dealt withall by their chief Magistrates, and other superiours; so are they as cruell one against another, specially over their inferiours, and such as are under them …

The number of their vagrant and begging poore is almost infinite, that are so pinched with famine and extreme need, as that they begge after a violent and desperate manner, with give me and cut me, give me and kill me, and such like phrases. Whereby it may be ghessed what they are towards strangers, that are so unnaturall and cruell, towards their own.

Of Russia

The people, as is commonly reported of them, are very perfidious, crafty and deceitful in all their bargains, false-dealers with all they have to do with, making no reckoning of their promises, and studying nothing more then wayes to evade their Contracts. Vices so generally known and noted in them, that when they are to deal with strangers, they dissemble their Countrie, and pretend to be of other Nations: for fear lest no bodie should trust them. Destitute of humane affections, and so unnaturall that the father insults on the son, and he again over his father and mother: So malicious one towards another, that you shall have a man hide some of his own goods in the house of some man whom he hateth, and then accuse him for the stealth of them. They are exceedingly given to drink, insomuch that all heady and intoxicating drinks are by Law prohibited: and two or three dayes only in a year allowed them to be drunk in. For the most part they are strong of body, swift of foot, of a square proportion, broad, short, and thick; grey-eyed, broad-bearded, and generally furnished with prominent paunches. The Commons live in miserable subjection to the Nobles; and they again in as great slavery to the Duke or Emperour; to whom no man of all the vulgar dares immediately exhibit a Petition, or make known his grievances: nay the mean Lords and Officers are squeamish in this kinde, and but on great submission, will not commend unto the Duke a poor mans cause. They are altogether unlearned, even the Priests meanly indoctrinated; it being cautionated by the great Duke that there be no Schools, lest there should be any Scholars but himself: so that the people use to work commonly on the Lords day, holding it fit only to be kept by Gentlemen; and to say in a difficult question, God and our Great Duke know all this: and in other talk, All we enjoy health and life, all from our Great Duke. According to whose pleasure every man is prescribed what habit he shall wear, both for matter and fashion suitable unto their condition. In the time of my Author, their habit was a long Garment without plaits, which hung down to their heels, commonly of white or blew, with very strait sleeves: on their legs wearing buskins up as high as the calf, for the most part red, high at the heels, and beset with nails of iron. The stuffe and trimming of this dresse is the only difference betwixt the Noble and the Paisant.