University of Virginia Library

To his especiall frende, master Edwarde Dancie.

My Dancie deere, when I
recount within my brest:
My London frends and wonted mates
and thee aboue the rest.
I feele a thousand fittes
of deepe and deadly woe:
To thinke that I from sea to land,
from blisse to bale did goe.
I left my natiue soyle,
ful like a retchlesse man
And vnacquainted of the coast,
among the Russies ranne.
A people passing rude,
to vices vile enclinde:
Folke fitte to be of Bacchus traine,
so quaffing is their kinde.
Drinke is their whole desire,
the pot is all their pride:
The sobrest head doeth once a day,
stand needeful of a guyde.
If he to banquet bid his frends,
he wil not shrinke
On them at dinner to bestow
a dosen kindes of drinke.
Such licour as they haue
and as the countrey giues:
But cheefly two, one called Kuas,
whereby the Musick liues.
Small ware and waterlike
but somewhat tart in taste:
The rest is Meade, of hony made
wherewith their lips they baste.
And if he goe vnto
his neighbour as a guest:
He cares for litle meate, if so
his drinke be of the best.
Perhaps the Mausick hath
a gay and gallant wife:
To serue his beastly lust yet he
will leade a bowgards life.
The monster more desires
a boy within his bed
Then any wench, such filthy sinne
ensues a drunken head.
The woman to repay,
her drousie husbands dettes:
From stinking stoue vnto her mate
to baudy banquet gets.
No wonder though they vse
such vile and beastly trade:
Sith with the hatchet and the hand,
their chiefest Gods be made.
Their Idolles haue their hearts
on God they neuer call:
Unlesse it be (Nichola Bough)
that hangs against the wall.
The house that hath no God,
or painted saint within:
Is not to be resorted to,
that roofe is full of sinne.
Besides their priuate Gods,
in open places stand
Their crosses, vnto which they crouch,
and blesse themselues with hand.
Deuoutly downe they ducke,
with forhead to the ground:
Was neuer more deceit in ragges,
and greasie garments found.
Almost the meanest man
in all the countrey rides:
The woman eke against our vse,
her trotting horse bestrides.
In sundry colors they
both men and women go:
In buskins all, that money haue
on buskins to bestow.
Eche woman hanging hath
a ring within hir eare:
Which all of ancieut vse, and some
of very pride do weare.
Their gate is very graue,
their countenance wise and sad:
And yet they follow fleshly lusts,
their trade of liuing bad.
It is no shame at all,
accounted to defile
Anothers bed, they make no care
their follies to concile.
Is not the meanest man
in all the land, but he
To buy hir painted colours doth
allow his wife a fee.
Wherewith she decks hir selfe,
and dies hir tawnie skin:
She prancks and paints hir smokie face,
both browe, lip, cheeke and chin.
Yea those that honest are
(if any such there vee)
Within the land, do vse the like,
a man may plainly see.
Upon some womens cheekes
the painting how it lies:
In plaster sort, for that too thicke
hir face the harlot dies.
But such as skilfull are,
and cunning dames in deed:
By daily practise do it well,
yea sure they do exceed.
They lay their colours so,
as he that is full wise:
May easily be deceiued therein,
if he do trust his eies.
I not a little muse
what madnesse makes them paint
Their faces, waying how they keepe
the stoue by meere constraint.
For seldom when, vnlesse
on church or mariage day.
A man shall see the dames abrode
that are of vest aray.
The Russie means to reape
the profit of hir pride:
And so he mewes hir, to be sure
she lie by no mans side.
Thus much (friend Dancie)
I did meane to write to thee:
To let thee wite, in Russia land,
what men and women bee.
Hereafter I perhaps
of other things will write:
To thee and other of my friends,
which I shall see with sight.
And other stuffe besides,
which true report shall tell:
Meane while I end my louing lines,
and bid thee now farewell.