a thong of the same length attached to it, at the end of which was a large angular piece of metal ornamented with gold. The train consisted of nearly three hundred horsemen. The grand-prince called the strangers frequently to him, and invited them to follow his example, and also to lead dogs, as he did, to the chase. This encouragement was necessary, remarks Herberstein, because with them dogs, being regarded as unclean beasts, are not usually to be handled by honourable persons. The produce of this hunt was three hundred hares.
On the morning of their leave-taking, the ambassadors received very costly dresses from the grand-prince, in which they were to appear at their last audience. After the dinner which followed this audience, they were each presented by the grand-prince with eighty rubles, three hundred ermine, and fifteen hundred miniver skins. When they had finally taken leave, and returned to their residence, the grand-prince again sent to them, to ask which way they intended to return. Their answer was, by Wilna and Cracow to Vienna; to which the secretaries replied, that the grand-prince had just received information from the frontier of the taking of Buda by the Turks, which news he communicated to them for their own guidance.
One circumstance ought to be mentioned here particularly as having caused an injurious impression against Herberstein in Poland, viz., the pride and jealous rivalry of the Poles, who would not allow to the sovereign of their hostile neighbours the title of
