Notes upon Russia/Volume 1/Dedication
RERUM MOSCOVITICARUM COMENTARII.
IN hiis comentariis sparsim contenta habebis, candide Lector,
Russie & que nunc ejus Metropolis est, Moscovie, brevissimam descriptionem,
De Religione quoque varia inserte sunt: Et que nostra cum Religione non conveniunt.
Corographiam deniqve totius imperii Moscici: Et vicinorum quorundam mentionem.
Quis denique modus excipiendi et tractandi oratores: disseritur.
Itineraria quoque duo, in Moscoviam sunt adiuncta.
DEDICATION.
In ancient days, when the Romans sent ambassadors to any distant and unknown country, they are said to have charged them as a duty to commit carefully to writing a description of the manners, institutes, and entire mode of living of the people with whom their embassy brought them in contact; and so much importance was afterwards attached to such descriptions, that upon the termination of an embassy, the ambassador’s commentaries were deposited in the temple of Saturn for the instruction of posterity. If this regulation had been observed by men of our own, or recent times, we should perhaps have had more light, and certainly less trash, infused into history. For my own part, as I always from my youth took delight in observing the habits of foreigners both at home and abroad, it was a matter of cordial pleasure to me that my services were required in embassies, not only by that wise prince, Your Majesty’s grandfather Maximilian, but by Your Majesty also, by whose command I more than once travelled through the countries of the north. To Russia in particular, which of all the countries of Christendom differs so much from us in its manners, laws, religion, and military discipline, I made a second expedition, on which occasion the Imperial ambassador, Count Leonhard von Nugaroli was alike the sharer of my dignity and the companion of my journey. Although, however, I had by command of the Emperor Maximilian gone as ambassador to Denmark, Hungary, and Poland; and after the death of His Majesty, had in the name of my country, travelled through Italy and France, traversing both sea and land, to Spain, on a mission to Your Majesty’s brother, the most powerful and invincible Emperor Charles V; and subsequently, by command of Your Majesty, went as ambassador to the kings of Hungary and Poland, and lastly, in company with Count Nicolas von Salm, to the camp of Solyman, the prince of the Turks; in all which journeyings I had made numerous notes, doubtless worthy of being commemorated in print, both of what I saw and learnt by diligent inquiry: yet I was unwilling to spend such leisure as I could afford myself from public councils, in committing to print any relation of such matters as had been either treated of skilfully and carefully by others, or were already set before the eyes and daily observation of all Europe. The more intimate habits of the Russians, however, which have not been brought before the knowledge of the present age, I have here taken upon myself to bring forward and describe; in doing which, I have mainly relied upon two things, namely, diligence in investigation, and my knowledge of the Sclavonic language; both which have served me largely in the production of a narrative of this nature. While, therefore, several others have, in describing other countries, touched upon Russia; among the more ancient of whom is Nicolas Cusanus, and in our own time, Paulus Jovius (whose name I mention on account of his very great learning and wonderful affection for myself, and of whose elegance and great fidelity of description I speak, on account of the abundant use that he made of an interpreter), Johann Fabri, and Anton Bied, who have left both maps and commentaries; and while some, also, of the authors to whom I refer have not written of Russia specifically, but only incidentally, in describing neighbouring countries,—as for instance, Olaus Gothus, in his description of Sweden, Matthæus Mechovita, Albertus Campensis, and Munster,—yet such as these have by no means deterred me from my resolution of writing. And this resolution I hold, because while I was in the country I derived my information, not only from personal observation, but from accounts which were worthy of credit, and daily availed myself of every opportunity to converse much upon such matters with a great number of people, so that occasionally I have been obliged (and I hope my words will not give offence) to give a more copious and ample explanation of matters which have been exhibited by others obscurely and as it were through a lattice. In addition to this, I here give a description of subjects which have not been at all touched upon by others, and which no one but an ambassador could have become acquainted with. In this my purpose and labour, moreover, I have been encouraged by Your Majesty, who has from time to time exhorted me to bring the work which I had begun to a conclusion, and who has even (as the saying is) spurred an already willing horse; while on the other hand, various embassies and other labours in Your Majesty’s service have very frequently called me off from this occupation, upon which I have been able hitherto to bestow less time than I had contemplated. Now, however, that I find myself able to enjoy somewhat of leisure from the daily business of the Austrian treasury, I return, in obedience to Your Majesty’s command, to my interrupted task; and I pay but little regard to those inconsiderate readers of this most delicate age, who will perhaps look for greater refinement in my writing; it is sufficient for me that I have given proof by the fact itself (since I could not do so equally by my language), of my wish by any means to provide instruction for posterity, and of my desire to obey the commands of Your Majesty, than which I hold nothing in greater reverence. I therefore hereby declare to Your Majesty, that these Notes upon Russia have been dictated by me far more from a desire to investigate and elucidate the truth, than for the sake of talking; and I humbly dedicate and commend myself to the patronage of Your Majesty, in whose service I have grown old, and pray Your Majesty to deign to accept this book with the same clemency and kindness which Your Majesty has ever vouchsafed to its author himself.
The same, Your Majesty’s faithful Councillor and Chamberlain, and Governor of the Austrian Treasury,
SIGISMUND,
Baron of Herberstein, Neyperg, and Guettenhag.