_Moscow of the English_
"O, how glad was I that the Tsar took notice of those few
Englishmen."--HORSEY.
Moscow still bears witness to the thoroughness of English handicraft
just as it shows the unmistakable impress of the French heel. When the
discovery of the new world by Columbus had awakened England to
enterprise and adventure, among the expeditions fitted out to find new
markets for English manufactures was one of three ships sent on the
advice of Sebastian Cabot, to the Arctic seas in 1553. Sir Hugh
Willoughby was in command; Richard Chancellor, a young _protégé_ of Sir
Henry Sydney, his able lieutenant, and King Edward VI. himself the
patron. The merchant venturers each found £25 for the undertaking; £6000
in all was subscribed; two Tartars in the King's stable were
interrogated as to that land on "the East of the Globe," but they
answered nothing at all that was in point. Three ships sailed from
Rudcliff Harbour on the 20th May, but a few days later a storm separated
them. Chancellor sailed on, and notwithstanding "the counsel of three
friendly Scotchmen" to proceed no further, he reached the White Sea
where he awaited the coming of his chief. Sighting a smack he got the
men on board; they at once fell prostrate to kiss his feet but he
himself raised them, "an act of humanity that won for him much
goodwill." The natives dared not trade without leave of their prince,
and in some six weeks an invitation was given Chancellor to proceed from
Kholmogori (Archangel) to Moscow. There he was sumptuously entertained.
Furnished with a reply to King Edward's letter and permission to trade,
he returned to London. In April 1555, Chancellor was again sent to
Moscow; the Tsar in the meanwhile had found the remains of Sir Hugh
Willoughby's other two ships, the crews of which had been starved to
death. The result of this second voyage was the establishment of the
Russia Company at Kholmogori and Moscow, and the visit of a Russian
envoy to the Court of St James's. Ill-luck attended the return voyage;
Chancellor, his son and seven Russians, were drowned when their ship was
wrecked, near Kinnaird Head.
The English were not deterred by untoward events, and pressed trade
briskly. They had to deal with a sovereign whose methods were detestable
and whose aim was a political and matrimonial alliance with the Tudors,
not commercial intercourse with the English people; the Tsar was foiled,
and the English traders succeeded. No doubt the venturers were misled by
the too glowing reports of their servants, who represented Russia as a
new Indies. Wondrous were the stories they gave of the country and its
inhabitants; of the immense wealth of the Tsar; of the strange animals
that roamed in the forests. Of these last one was the "Rossmachia,"
which devoured food so ravenously that it had to pass between great
growing trees in order to reduce its distended stomach--an animal not
identified; another was the Ass-camel, having the attributes of both
these beasts, which was so far believed in as to figure in the arms of
the Eastland Company and is thought to be the yak. To these early
voyagers, earnest and austere in their new-found protestantism, the
religion of the Muscovites seemed idolatrous, and to their prejudiced
writings, reproduced by generation after generation, many of the still
current misconceptions concerning the Eastern Church are due.
The Governors of the Russia Company were hard-headed, bargain-driving
tradesmen, with no soul for empire or an attempt had been made by them
to conquer and annex Russia for their sovereign and their country.
Profitable trade was their one aim and the extravagances of their
servants and apprentices their increasing lament. Many were the
complaints, piteous the explanations; anger on the part of the employer,
indignation and desertion on the part of the unlucky apprentices.
Ivan did not pay for the goods he had, or his chancellor would not; none
dared trade but by his leave; his subjects feared to buy the merchants'
goods lest their sovereign might still require them for himself. The
governors paid no heed to the customs of the country or the needs of
their apprentices--foundlings and charity--reared orphans--no furs were
to be worn; the ells of cloth allowed annually were in no case to be
exceeded, and the use of horses forbidden; "if it be against the manner
of that countrie we will make it the manner rather than forbear our
money with losse to clothe them otherwise, or maintain them to ride when
we go afoot. Let the horses and mares be sold."
So ordered the governors their full-powered servant Anthony Jenkinson,
who was further commanded to "reduce our stipendiaries to a better order
in apparel; forbid them riding, for such excessiveness corrupteth all
good natures, bringeth obloquy to our nation and also loss to
ourselves." "Item 34" of this long command is "no dogs, bears, or
superfluous burdens to be kept; no bond-men or women to wait upon them."
"Item 39, they shall pay for their apparel not at cost price but at the
selling price in Russia." Among other things the unfortunate ill-clad
apprentice bore in the frozen north during arctic winter was punishment
for the company's misdoings, but the governors, "doubt that Alcock's
death proceeded from asking for payment of our debts, as Edwardes
writes, but that he either quareled inadvisedly or else constrained the
people touching their religion, laws, or manners, being given wisdom
wolde to mislike and mock other strangers." No wonder the English left
the factory and tried to make a living for themselves, but withal there
were many of the right grit among them, to wit, Anthony Jenkinson who
passed through Moscow in 1558 determined upon finding a way to the
Indies by the Caspian. This intrepid adventurer reached Ispahan with the
goods of the Russia company and returned burdened with rich barter and
precious gifts. Later he fitted out a fleet on the Caspian and made war
on the Turcomans with some success, an undertaking the difficulties of
which can scarcely be estimated seeing that he could communicate with
England only by way of Archangel,--a port closed by ice for one half of
the year. Jenkinson had not only to contend with pirates on the Volga,
but was warned that the Danes might attempt to seize his
ships,--_Primrose_, 240 tons; _John Evangelist_, 170; _Anne_, 160;
_Trinitie_, 140;--as they passed the wardhouse (Vardso) "where be
enemies that do mislike the newe found trade by seas to Russia."
Sigismund II., King of Poland, tried his utmost to stop the traffic,
"sending messengers with pretended letters of thanks to English
merchants in order to make the Tsar, Ivan, suspicious of them.
He fitted out ships in Dantzig to capture English ships bound for the
Narva, and threatened Elizabeth that loss of liberty, life, wives and
children awaited those who should carry wares and weapons to the
Muscovite who was not only the enemy of the King of Poland but the
hereditary foe of all free nations." Among other of the company's
servants who distinguished themselves were Southam and Spark who
discovered the water-way from the White Sea to Novgorod, and so got
goods thither without such risk as was run from Russia's enemies on the
Baltic when sent by Narva. The Flemings and Germans were jealous of the
new traders and made many misrepresentations concerning both persons and
goods. They themselves furnished an inferior staple, but the simple
people were made to prefer it to English cloth which, as it would not
shrink as theirs did, could not be new.
Jerom Horsey was an apprentice or underling of the Russia company at
Moscow; he attracted the Tsar's attention by his expert horsemanship and
his wit when the Tsar questioned him respecting the Russian ships
building at Vologda for the Caspian. Horsey answered that with others he
had admired their "strange fashion." Ivan would know what he meant by
this description. "I mean that the figure heads of lions, dragons,
eagles, elephants and unicorns were so skilfully, so richly adorned with
gold and silver, and painted in bright colours." "A crafty youth to
commend the work of his own countrymen," remarked Ivan, and then asked
about the English Fleet, but was displeased when Horsey described the
Queen's flag as "one before which all nations bow." These traders were
not the only British in Moscow, others were brought as prisoners by Ivan
on his return from the devastation of Novgorod.
"At which time, among other nations, there were four score and five
poor Scotch soldiers left of 700 sent from Stockholm, and three
Englishmen in their company brought many other captives, in most
miserable manner, piteous to behold. I laboured and employed my
best endeavours and credit--not only to succour them but with my
purse, and pains, and means got them to be well placed at Bulvan
near the Moskva. And although the Tsar was much inflamed with fury
and wrath against them, torturing and putting many of these Swede
soldiers to death--most lamentable to behold--I procured the Tsar
to be told of the difference between these Scots, now his captives,
and the Swedes, Poles and Lithuanins his enemies. That they were of
a nation of strangers; remote; a venturous and warlike people,
ready to serve any Christian prince for maintenance and pay, as
they would appear and prove, if it pleased His Majesty to employ
and spare them such maintenance. They were out of heart; no
clothes; no arms; but would show themselves of valour even against
his mortal enemy the Tartar. It seems some use was made of this
advice for shortly the best soldiers were put apart and captains of
each nation appointed to govern the rest. Jeamy Lingett for the
Scottish men, a valiant, honest man. Money, clothes, and daily
allowance for meat and drink was given them; horses, hay and oats;
swords, piece and pistols were they armed with--poor snakes before,
looke now cheerfully. Twelve hundred of them did better service
against the Tartar than twelve thousand Russians with their short
bows and arrows. The Krim-Tartars, not knowing then the use of
muskets and pistols, struck dead on their horses with shot they saw
not, cried:--'Awaye with those new devils that come with their
thundering puffs,' whereat the Tsar made good sport. Then had they
pensions and lands allowed them to live upon; matched and married
with the fair women of Livonia; increased into families, and live
in favour of the prince and people."--_Horsey._
Unhappily their good treatment was not long continued. Soon Ivan set a
thousand of his opritchniks "to rob and spoil them," and their
sufferings were terrible. Some escaped into the English House, and were
clad and relieved there, "but," says Horsey, "we were in danger of great
displeasure in so doing." But Horsey, a man of wide sympathies, did not
confine his aid to men of his own country; he was instrumental in saving
many other of the captives of Ivan's wars in the west, who were
quartered in a special suburb, the _nemetski sloboda_, "by my mediation
and means, being then familiar and conversant in the Court, well known
and respected of the best favourites and officers at that time, I
procured liberty to build them a church, and contributed well thereunto;
got unto them a learned preaching minister, and divine service and
meeting of the congregation every Sabath day, but after their Lutheran
profession." These people "soon grew in good liking" of the Muscovite
citizens, "living civilly, but in doleful mourning manner for their evil
loss of goods, friends, and country." Horsey was the man chosen by Ivan
to take a private message to Queen Elizabeth in answer to the important
communication she had sent him by Anthony Jenkinson. The Tsar provided
him with horses, and a guard as far as the confines of his territory,
but "forbear to tell you all the secrets entrusted to you, lest you
should fall into my enemy's power and be forced to betray them, but you
will give to the Queen, my loving sister, the contents of this bottle,"
and the Tsar himself secreted a small wooden spirit-flask among the
trappings of the young rider's horse.
Horsey had engaged upon a daring undertaking, and had an adventurous
journey. It was winter; Russia was beset by Ivan's enemies, who hated
the English for the help given the Muscovite ruler. As soon as he
crossed the border he feigned to be a refugee, but was taken as a spy
and cast into prison. The governor of the castle, hearing that he came
from Moscow, would learn some news of his daughter, who had been carried
away a captive by Ivan's troops. She was among those whom Horsey had
helped to settle in the Sloboda, and he gave so good an account of her,
that the grateful jailer liberated him and helped him forward on his
long journey. When he passed through the Netherlands the merchants gave
a banquet in his honour and, for favours he had rendered the foreigners
in Moscow, presented him with a silver bowl full of ducats. Horsey
returned the ducats, as he says, "not without afterwards repenting of
this," but kept the bowl to remind him of their good will. He reached
England, and was received by the Queen and indicted by the sordid
governors of the Russia company, who made a number of trivial and
baseless charges. He returned to Russia more than once, got the
extravagant demands of the company conceded, some thousands of roubles
were "preened from the shins of Shalkan, the Chancellor," and after
living through the "troublous times" he finally settled in England; was
married, knighted, and lived far into the seventeenth century.
Probably his "good friends" at court were Nikita Romanof, grandfather of
the first elected Tsar, and Boris Godunov with whom Horsey was always on
excellent terms. Ivan sent a couple of hundred of his opritchniks to
pillage the house of his father-in-law Nikita Romanof, and the English
then sheltered the family in their house close by, and supplied them
with food and stuffs "for they had been stripped of all they possessed."
In its turn the English House suffered; it was burned by the Tartars in
1591, and the inmates huddled in the cellar for days, lost Spark, the
explorer, Carver, the first apothecary in Moscow, and others, but the
survivors rushed out during a lull in the conflagration and made their
way through the smoke and flames to the Kremlin, where they were helped
over the wall. In 1611 it was again destroyed by fire, in the struggle
between Pojarski and the Poles, and finally destroyed during the French
invasion. Its site is now occupied by the Siberian Podvor, in the
Varvarka. It was not rebuilt, but a plot of land between the Broosovski
and Chernichefski Pereuloks--the streets that connect the Tverskaya and
Nikitskaya behind the Governor-General's residence--was granted the
colony by Alexander I., and there a new English church, parsonage and
library have been erected.
The early settlers were chiefly traders, but they also coined silver
money and made weapons; it was usual for the Tsar to honour the house by
a ceremonial call early in the new year, and towards the autumn, the
Tsar and Court accompanied the merchants the first stage of their
homeward journey towards Archangel, and gave them a parting feast and
toast at a picnic in the forest--a custom observed by Peter I. until he
founded St Petersburgh. Their status was, and is, that of foreign
guests, and they were subject to the common law and custom. William
Barnsley of Worcester appears to have been the first Englishman exiled
to Siberia. Ivan the Terrible thought him too familiar in his behaviour
towards the Tsaritsa, so banished him, but he returned after twenty-six
years, hale and very wealthy. Giles Fletcher, father of Phineas
Fletcher, the poet, obtained an undertaking that Englishmen should not
be put to the torture or put on the put-key--whipping block--before
condemnation. His own book on Muscovy was promptly suppressed on the
petition of the Russia Company, whose members so far from supporting the
rights of their countrymen, were not altogether displeased that an
escaped apprentice--or other roving Englishman--if not roasted, "yet
were scorched." Peter the Great put to death the beautiful Miss
Hamilton, a lady of honour to his wife Eudoxia and nearly related to his
own mother's foster-parents, but he is said to have accompanied her to
the scaffold and picked up the head as it dropped from the block and
pressed his lips to hers.
There were Englishwomen in Moscow in the sixteenth century, for, apart
from the anecdote respecting Ivan's treatment of them, Jane Richard, the
widow of his physician, the notorious Dr Bomel, was sent back to England
in 1583, and in 1602 John Frenchman founded the _Apteka_ in Moscow in
1586, and returned
[Illustration: TOWER OVER THE REDEEMER GATE (SPASSKI VOROT)]
to Moscow with his wife and family in 1602. From the complaints of the
Russia Company of their young employees, it would appear that married
men were sent out, "as also a Divine to exhort the single to righteous
conduct," quite early in its history. From these people who lived apart
from the citizens and enjoyed certain privileges, the Russians derived
new ideas as to woman's place in the household, and many families
adopted the foreign customs long before Peter "commanded" that the
terems should be thrown open and the example of the Court followed by
all.
The visible memorials of the early English settlers in Moscow may be
found about the Kremlin in such works as the great central tower, Ivan
Veliki, built by John Villiers, the beautiful Church of St
Catherine--that behind the Golden Gate (_v._ p. 161) accredited to John
Taylor; and, still more characteristic, those Gothic towers which rise
so majestically above the Troitski and Spasski Gates. In them the
influence of the east is scarcely to be discovered, even such use as is
made of the ogival arch being quite as native to the Gothic of the later
period as to the Russian architecture, whilst those forms of decoration
common to Moscow prior to, and during, the seventeenth century are as
completely ignored as the designs of the Italian builders of the wall
these Gothic towers crown. In the view illustrated the belfry tower of
the Church of St Catherine also figures, in not unpleasing contrast with
the more severe, and beautiful, but commoner architecture adopted by
Galloway.
Foreign craftsmen flocked to Moscow during the glorious reign of Alexis,
and the Russia Company prospered, but the English settlers received a
temporary check when the quarrel rose between King and Parliament.
Alexis, in gratitude for favours shown his ancestors by the English,
sent Charles grain and furs, and banished those who declared for the
Commonwealth. He annulled the charter of the Russia Company when
Cromwell succeeded, and would have no intercourse with the Protector. In
this, as in most matters, Cromwell ultimately obtained his own way. The
difficulty was smoothed away by Cromwell's roaming ambassador, the able
Bradshaw, who did not even need to visit Russia to accomplish so little.
Trade was re-opened, and later Alexis corresponded with the great
Englishman. During the reign of Peter all foreign residents, not
military leaders, were oppressed--their wages were withheld that they
might not escape the country and agreements and contracts disregarded,
but there was no open enmity between the races save for a short time
subsequent to the seizure of Malta, which act greatly embittered the
Emperor Paul against the English. The Marquess of Carmarthen obtained a
tobacco monopoly from Peter the Great, who on his return to Moscow now
punished as severely those of his subjects who would not acquire the
habit as he had previously done those who indulged it. But he
disregarded the provisions of the contract and the result was that Queen
Anne's representative at Moscow was instructed to send home the workmen
and secretly destroy all the material and machines in the factory at
Moscow. The envoy and his secretary "spent long hours and nights" in
accomplishing this service with their own hands--probably the last
actual direct interference of the British Crown with matters commercial
and industrial, for it failed of its ultimate purpose, and brought
disaster.
Scotch soldiers of fortune found their opportunities in Russia, and made
the most of them. One of the best known among them is the sturdy Patrick
Gordon, who entered the Swedish service under the grandfather of Charles
XII.; was captured by the Poles and served them until taken prisoner by
Alexis. The Tsar had heard that Gordon had taken pity upon Russian
captives in Warsaw, and at his own cost fed them, so sent for him that
he might thank him personally for the "favours shown to the poor
captives in Warsaw," whereupon Gordon offered his sword to Moscow, and
served faithfully. One Alexander Gordon, who claimed cousinship, found
his way to Moscow, and was made an officer by Peter "for that he, single
handed, thrashed seven Russian officers who had insulted him." He also
married a daughter of Patrick Gordon, and wrote the best contemporary
biography of Peter I. Crawford helped the Gordons to form a regiment of
regular soldiers, and Field-Marshal Bruce with Gordon rendered such
valuable services, that Peter instituted the Order of St Andrew, for
distinguished military services, and these Scotchmen were the first to
be decorated.
After the peace of Tilsit Napoleon wished Alexander to banish or
imprison the English in Russia, but the Tsar answered, "Their ancestors
have been here during past centuries and I shall not treat my old
friends so ill as to consider them enemies; if they choose to remain in
Russia none shall molest them." They suffered during the French
occupation of Moscow; their Church was burned, and the residence of
their pastor as well as their own warehouses and dwellings. It is said
that one Englishman, more astute than most, buried his treasure and a
little less deep interred the body of a French soldier. The marauders
seeing the newly-turned earth dug until they reached the body of their
comrade, but sought no further, and the next year the Englishman removed
his treasure intact. During the Crimean war, the only inconvenience the
English residents suffered was the loss of trade. The police doubted
whether it was lawful for the community to offer up prayers for the
defeat of the Russians--the Queen's enemies--and the matter was referred
to the Emperor Nicholas, who answered that the English were "to be
allowed to pray for whomsoever and whatsoever they pleased." From the
English settlers have descended men who have distinguished themselves,
as amongst poets, Lermontof (Lear-month); amongst diplomats, Count
Balmaine (Ramsay of Balmaine) and Prince Menzikov (Menzies); among
soldiers, Barclay de Tolly (from a Scotch Protestant refugee) and
Skobelev (Scobie); amongst architects, Sherwood, designer of the
Historical Museum, and Parland, architect of the Memorial Cathedral, St
Petersburg, and in other walks of life, others the equals of these. The
colonists have but one policy--to support the Government--and do not
fuse freely with the Slavs. Some still cling tenaciously to the
nationality of their ancestors, whilst in dress, language, manners and
aspirations indistinguishable from those Russians of the class with whom
they associate. Pathetic figures some; reluctant to relinquish the
passport that alone links them with the land of their fathers, looked at
askant by the Britons newly out, a nuisance to diplomatists, and a
puzzle to the "orthodox."