University of Virginia Library

Chapter XV.
Their feasts; common diet; Princes estate; buildings;
tributes; lawes; slaves; entertainment of Ambassadours.

FOR their feasts

they have all sorts of beasts, birds, fish, fruits, and
hearbs they can get, but the more variety of wilde ones is the
best; to which they have excellent drinke made of rice, millit, and
honey, like wine; they have also wine, but in Summer they drinke
most Cossmos, that standeth ready alwayes at the entrance of the
doore, and by it a fidler; when the master of the house beginneth to
drinke, they all cry, ha, ha, and the fidler playes, then they all clap
their hands and dance, the men before their Masters, the women
before their Mistresses; and ever when he drinks, they cry as before;
then the fidler stayeth till they drinke all round; sometimes they will
drinke for the victory; and to provoke one to drinke, they will pull
him by the ears, and lugge and draw him, to stretch and heat him,
clapping their hands, stamping with their feet, and dancing before
the champions, offering them cups, then draw them backe againe to
increase their appetite; and thus continue till they be drunke, or
their drinke done, which they hold an honour, and no infirmity.

Though the ground be fertile,

they sow little corne, yet the Gentlemen have bread and hony-wine; grapes they have plenty,
and wine privately, and good flesh and fish; but the common sort
stamped millit, mingled with milke and water. They call Cassa for
meat, and drinke any thing; also any beast unprofitable for service
they kill, when they are like to die, or however they die, they will eat
them, guts liver and all; but the most fleshy parts they cut in thinne
slices, and hang it up in the Sunne and wind without salting, where
it will drie so hard, it will not putrifie in a long time. A Ramme they
esteeme a great feast among forty or fiftie, which they cut in peeces
boiled or roast, put it in a great bowle with salt and water, for other
sauce they have none; the master of the feast ∥ giveth every one a
peece, which he eateth by himselfe, or carrieth away with him. Thus
their hard fare makes them so infinite in Cattell, and their great
number of captived women to breed upon, makes them so populous.
But neere the Christian frontiers, the baser sort make little cottages
of wood, called Ulusi, daubed over with durt, and beasts dung
covered with sedge; yet in Summer they leave them, beginning their
progresse in Aprill, with their wives, children, and slaves, in their
carted houses, scarce convenient for foure or five persons; driving
their flocks towards Perecopya, and sometimes into Taurica, or
Osow, a towne upon the river Tanais, which is great and swift,
where the Turke hatha garrison; and in October returne againe to
their Cottages. Their Clothes are the skinnes of dogges, goats, and
sheepe, lined with cotton cloath, made of their finest wooll, for of
their worst they make their felt, which they use in aboundance, as
well for shooes and caps, as houses, beds, and Idolls; also of the coarse
wooll mingled with horse haire, they make all their cordage. Notwithstanding
this wandring life, their Princes sit in great state upon
beds, or carpits, and with great reverence are attended both by men
and women, and richly served in plate, and great silver cups, delivered
upon the knee, attired in rich furres, lined with plush, or
taffity, or robes of tissue. These Tartars possesse many large and
goodly plaines, wherein feed innumerable herds of horse and cattell,
as well wilde as tame; which are Elkes, Bisones, Horses, Deere,
Sheepe, Goates, Swine, Beares, and divers others.

In those countries are the ruines of many faire Monasteries,
Castles, and Cities, as Bacasaray,

Salutium, Almassary, Perecopya,
Cremum, Sedacom, Capha, and divers others by the Sea, but all
kept with strong garrisons for the great Turke, who yearely by trade
or trafficke, receiveth the chiefe commodities those fertile countries
afford, as Bezer, Rice, Furres, Hides, Butter, Salt, Cattell, and
Slaves, yet by the spoiles they get from the secure and idle Christians,
they maintaine themselves in this Pompe. Also their wives, of whom
they have as many as they will, very costly, yet in a constant custome
with decency.

They are Mahometans,

as are the Turks, from whom also they
have their Lawes, but no Lawyers, nor Attournies, onely Judges, and
Justices in every Village, or Hordia; but capitall criminalls, or matters
of moment, before the Chan himselfe, or Privie Counsells, of whom
they are alwayes heard, and speedily discharged; for any may have
accesse at any time to them, before whom they appeare with great
reverence, adoring their Princes as Gods, and their spirituall Judges
as Saints; for Justice is with such integrity and expedition executed,
without covetousnesse, bribery, partiality, and brawling, that in six
moneths they have sometimes scarce six causes to heare. About the
Princes court none but his guard weares any weapon, but abroad
they goe very strong, because there are many bandytos, and Theeves.

They use the Hungarians, Russians, Wallachians, and Moldavian
slaves (whereof they have plenty) as beasts to every worke;
and those Tartars that serve the Chan, or noblemen, have only
victuall and apparell, the rest are generally nasty, and idle, naturally
miserable, and in their warres better theeves than souldiers.

This Chan

hathyeerely a Donative from the King of Poland,
the Dukes of Lituania, Moldavia, and Nagagon Tartars; their Messengers
commonly he useth bountifully, and verie nobly, but sometimes
most cruelly; when any of them doth bring their Presents, by
his houshold Officers they are entertained in a plaine field, with a
moderate proportion of flesh, bread and wine, for once; but when
they come before him, the Sultaines, Tuians, Ulans, Marhies, his
chiefe Officers and Councellors attend, one man only bringeth the
Ambassadour to the Court gate, but to the Chan he is led betweene
two Councellors; where saluting him upon their bended knees, declaring
their message, are admitted to eat with him, and presented
with a great silver cup full of Mead from his owne hand, but they
drinke it upon their knees: when they are dispatched, he invites them
againe, the feast ended, they go backe a little from the Palace doore,
and rewarded with silke Vestures wrought with gold downe to their
anckles, with an horse or two, and sometimes a slave of their owne
Nation; in them robes presently they come to him againe, to give
him thankes, take their leave, and so depart.