Of the private behaviour, or qualitie of the Russe
people.
THE private behaviour and qualitie of the Russe
people,
may partly be understood by that which hath beene sayd
concerning the publique state and usage of the Countrey.
As touching the naturall habite of their bodies, they are
for the most part of a large size, and of very fleshly
bodies: accounting it a grace to be somewhat grosse
and burley, and therefore they nourish and spread their
beards, to have them long and broad. But for the most
part they are very unwieldy and unactive withall. Which
may be thought to come partly of the climate, and the
numbnesse which they get by the cold in winter, and
partly of their diet that standeth most of rootes, onions,
garlike, cabbage, and such like things that breede grosse
humors, which they use to eate alone, and with their
other meates.
Their diet is rather much then curious. At their meales
they beginne commonly with a Charke or small cuppe
of Aqua vitae, (which they call Russe
wine) and then
drinke not till towardes the end of their meales, taking
it in largely, and all together, with kissing one another
at every pledge. And therefore after dinner there is no
talking with them, but every man goeth to his bench
to take his afternoones sleepe, which is as ordinary with
them as their nights rest. When they exceede, and have
varietie of dishes, the first are their baked meates (for
roste meates they use litle) and then their broathes or
pottage. Their common drinke is Mead, the poorer sort
use water, and a third drinke called Quasse, which is
nothing else (as we say) but water turned out of his wits,
with a litle branne meashed with it.
This diet would breede in them many diseases, but that
they use bathstoves, or hote houses in steade of all
Phisicke, commonly twise or thrise every weeke. All
the winter time, and almost the whole Sommer, they
heat their Peaches, which are made like the Germane
bathstoves, and their Poclads like ovens, that so warme
the house that a stranger at the first shall hardly like
of it. These two extremities, specially in the winter of
heat within their houses, and of extreame colde without,
together with their diet, make them of a darke, and sallow
complexion, their skinnes being tanned and parched both
with cold and with heate: specially the women, that for
the greater part are of farre worse complexions, then the
men. Whereof the cause I take to be their keeping within
the hote houses, and busying themselves about the
heating, and using of their bathstoves, and peaches.
The Russe
because that he is used to both these
extremities of heat and of cold, can beare them both a
great deale more patiently, then strangers can doe. You
shall see them sometimes (to season their bodies) come
out of their bathstoves all on a froth, and fuming as
hoat almost as a pigge at a spit, and presently to leape
into the river starke naked, or to powre cold water all
over their bodies, and that in the coldest of all the winter
time. The women to mende the bad hue of their skinnes,
use to paint their faces with white and red colours, so
visibly, that every man may perceive it. Which is made
no matter, because it is common and liked well by their
husbands: who make their wives and daughters an
ordinarie allowance to buy them colours to paint their
faces withall, and delight themselves much to see them
of fowle women to become such faire images. This
parcheth the skinne, and helpeth to deforme them when
their painting is of.
They apparell themselves after the Greeke manner.
The Noblemans attire is on this fashion. First a Taffia,
or little night cappe on his head, that covereth litle more
then his crowne, commonly verie rich wrought of silke
and golde threede, and set with pearle and precious stone.
His head he keepeth shaven close to the very skinne,
except he be in some displeasure with the Emperour.
Then hee suffereth his haire to growe and hang downe
upon his shoulders, covering his face as ugly and
deformedly as he can. Over the Taffia hee weareth a
wide cappe of blacke Foxe (which they account for the
best furre) with a Tiara or long bonnet put within it,
standing up like a Persian or Babilonian hatte. About
his necke (which is seene all bare) is a coller set with
pearle and precious stone, about three or foure fingers
broad. Next over his shirt, (which is curiously wrought,
because he strippeth himselfe into it in the Sommer time,
while he is within the house) is a Shepon, or light garment
of silke, made downe to the knees, buttoned before: and
then a Caftan or a close coat buttoned, and girt to him
with a Persian girdle, whereat he hangs his knives and
spoone. This commonly is of cloth of gold, and hangeth
downe as low as his ancles. Over that hee weareth a
lose garment of some rich silke, furred and faced about
with some golde lace, called a Ferris. Another over that
of chamlet, or like stuffe called an Alkaben, sleeved and
hanging lowe, and the cape commonly brooched, and set
all with pearle. When hee goeth abroad, he casteth over
all these (which are but sleight, though they seeme to be
many) an other garment called an Honoratkey, like to the
Alkaben, save that it is made without a coller for the
necke. And this is commonly of fine cloth, or Camels
haire. His buskins (which he weareth in stead of hose,
with linnen folles under them in stead of boot hose) are
made of a Persian leather called Saphian, embrodered
with pearle. His upper stockes commonly are of cloth
of golde. When he goeth abroad, hee mounteth on
horsebacke, though it be but to the next doore: which is
the maner also of the Boiarskey, or Gentlemen.
The Boiarskey or Gentlemans attire is of the same
fashion, but differeth in stuffe: and yet he will have his
Caftan or undercoat sometimes of cloth of golde, the rest
of cloth, or silke.
The Noble woman (called Chyna Boiarshena) weareth
on her head, first a caull of some soft silke (which is
commonly redde) and over it a fruntlet called Obrosa,
of white colour. Over that her cappe (made after the
coife fashion of cloth of gold) called Shapka Zempska,
edged with some rich furre, and set with pearle and stone.
Though they have of late begunne to disdaine embrodering with pearle above their cappes, because the Diacks,
and some Marchants wives have taken up the fashion. In
their eares they weare earerings (which they call Sargeeļ¼
of two inches or more compasse, the matter of gold set
with Rubies, or Saphires, or some like precious stone. In Sommer they goe often with kerchieffes of fine white
lawne, or cambricke, fastned under the chinne, with two
long tassels pendent. The kerchiefe spotted and set
thicke with rich pearle. When they ride or goe abroad
in raynie weather, they weare white hattes with coloured
bandes, called Stapa Zemskoy. About their neckes they
weare collers of three or foure fingers broad, set with
rich pearle and precious stone. Their upper garment is a
loose gowne called Oposhen commonly of scarlet, with
wide loose sleeves, hanging downe to the ground buttened
before with great golde buttons, or at least silver and
guilt nigh as bigge as a walnut. Which hath hanging
over it fastned under the cappe, a large broad cape of
some rich furre, that hangeth downe almost to the middes
of their backes. Next under the Oposken or upper garment, they weare another called a Leitnick that is made
close before with great wide sleeves, the cuffe or halfe
sleeve up to the elbowes, commonly of cloth of golde: and
under that a Ferris Zemskoy, which hangeth loose buttoned
throughout to the very foote. On the hande wrests they
weare very faire braselets, about two fingers broad of
pearle and precious stone. They goe all in buskins of
white, yellow, blew, or some other coloured leather,
embrodered with pearle. This is the attire of the Noblewoman of Russia, when she maketh the best shewe of her
selfe. The Gentlewomans apparell may differ in the stuffe,
but is all one for the making or fashion.
As for the poore Mousick and his wife they goe poorely
cladde. The man with his Honoratkey, or loose gowne to
the small of the legge, tyed together with a lace before, of
course white or blew cloth, with some Shube or long
wastcoate of furre, or of sheepeskinne under it, and his
furred cappe, and buskins. The poorer sort of them have
their Honoratkey, or upper garment, made of Kowes
haire. This is their winter habite. In the sommer time,
commonly they weare nothing but their shirts on their
backes, and buskins on their legges. The woman goeth
in a red or blewe gowne, when she maketh the best shewe,
and with some warme Shube of furre under it in the
winter time. But in the sommer, nothing but her two
shirts (for so they call them) one over the other, whether
they be within doores, or without. On their heads, they
weare caps of some coloured stuffe, many of velvet, or of
cloth of gold: but for the most part kerchiefs. Without
earings of silver or some other mettall, and her crosse
about her necke, you shall see no Russe
woman, be she
wife, or maide.
