The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 04Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 04
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
Their neighbors with whom they haue greatest dealings and intercourse, both
in peace and war, are first the Tartar. [Sidenote: The Polonians called
Laches by the Russe.] Secondly the Polonian whom the Russe calleth Laches,
noting the first author or founder of the nation, who was called Laches or
Leches, whereunto is added Po, which signifieth People, and is so made
Polaches, that is, the People or posterity of Laches: which the Latins
after their maner of writing cal Polonos. The third are the Swedens. The
Polonians and Swedens are better knowen to these parts of Europe then are
the Tartars, that are farther off from vs (as being of Asia) and diuided
into many tribes, different in name, and gouernment one from another.
[Sidenote: The Chrim Tartar.] The greatest and mightiest of them is the
Chrim Tartar, (whom some call the Great Can) that lieth South, and
Southeastward from Russia, and doth most annoy the country by often
inuasions, commonly once euery yere, sometimes entring very farre within
the inland parts. [Sidenote: The firing of Mosco by the Chrim Tartar in the
yere 1571.] In the yere 1571 he came as farre as the citie of Mosco, with
an armie of 200000 men, without any battel, or resistance at al, for that
the Russe Emperor (then Iuan Vasiliwich) leading forth his armie to
encounter with him, marched a wrong way. The citie he tooke not, but fired
the suburbs, which by reason of the buildings (which are all of wood
without any stone, brick, or lime, saue certaine out roomes) kindled so
quickly, and went on with such rage, as that it consumed the greatest part
of the citie almost within the space of foure houres, being of 30 miles or
more of compasse. Then might you haue seene a lamentable spectacle: besides
the huge and mighty flame of the citie all on light fire, the people
burning in their houses and streetes, but most of all of such as laboured
to passe out of the gates farthest from the enemie, where meeting together
in a mightie throng, and so pressing euery man to preuent another, wedged
themselues so fast within the gate, and streetes neere vnto it, as that
three rankes walked one vpon the others head, the vppermost treading downe
those that were lower: so that there perished at that time (as was said) by
the fire and the presse, the number of 800000 people or more.
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