Tuns thus, and is copied from Dr. South's Original Manuscript.

My best Friend, and moft Honoured Instructor,

T

O keep my Word with you, which I gave at Cornbury when we laft parted, I fend herein fome Account of my Voyage and Travels, with a few Obfervations on the Country, Inhabitants, Manners, and Customs of the Kingdom, whereof I have been a curfory, and (I fear) but too curious an Investigator, tho I do it with hope, that you, who have fo perfect a Knowlege of the Eastern World by what you have communicated to Me, concerning the Affairs of the Turkish Court, Palestine, &C. will pardon my falling infinitely fhort of you, in my Defcription of one of the Northern Kingdoms, whereof, your Avocations elsewhere may not have allow'd you the Attainment of fo juft a Defeription,

My Lord Embassador fet fail from Portsmouth, on Board the Tyger Man of War, with the Swallow in Company; and fome Merchant-ships under Convoy, on the 11th of June laft, and after having stay'd fome few days in the Sound, to dispatch Meffages with Compliments to the Courts of Sweden and Denmark, caft Anchor before Dantzick, on the 11th of August, where he was receiv'd under a Discharge of the Artillery on the Ramparts, and was the next Day conducted to an Audience of the Queen of Poland, (who had made a Journey thither, while the King her Husband was in the Field,) wherein he pay'd her Majefty the ufual Devoirs in the Name

of his Royal Master, and presented the young Princefs her Daughter with a very rich Jewel, and a Crofs of Diamonds of great Value.

He afterwards with a very Magnificent Retinue fet forward for Poland, and was receiv'd by the King in his Camp near Leopol in Russia, with Demonstrations of Refpect and Kindnefs fuitable to his Character and Perfon, where his Majefty did him the Honour of fending fome of his chief Offi cers to fhew him the Army, and their way of Encamping. Having mention'd Leopol, which is the Metropolis of the Palatinate of Ruffia, it may not be improper to tell you, that this City is large and well fortified, having two Caftles, one within the Walls, and one without, on a rising Ground, which commands the Town, both which, together with the City, were founded by Leo Duke of Ruffia about the year 1289. The Archbishop of this See is both Spiritual and Temporal Lord of his Diocese. Here alfo refide an Armenian Archbishop, and a Ruffian Bishop, depending on the Patriarch of Conftantinople, with feveral Churches belonging to each Bifhoprick. The Armenian Roman Catholicks have inhabited here, time out of Mind, and are govern'd wholly by their own Prelate, enjoying very great Privileges on Account of the confiderable Commerce they maintain with the Perfians and other Eastern People, This City likewife gives great Encouragement to Learned Men, who are very civilly receiv'd by their Academy, which is fupplied with Professors from that of Cracom; tho' from what I could find

from

from thofe Profeffors themselves, and the very Bifhops too, they had as little Furniture that way in their own Perfons, (except an Insight into the Latin Tongue,) as fome of the meanest of our Welsh Clergy. The Churches here are generally fair and well built, and abound with all kinds of Coftly Or

naments,

The Peace being happily concluded to the Advantage of Poland, between his Majesty and the Turks and Tartars, whereof his Excellency Mr. Hyde had no fmall fhare of the Management: The King return'd in November to Zolkiew his own Patrimony, which is a Town in Ruffia adorned and defended by a Castle, and intermixed with feveral delightful Gardens, with a fair Church in the middle of it, built with various forts of Marble, and whither the Embaffador waiting upon him, had his Publick Audience, there, in a most folemn manner. He was first carried in the King's Coach, attended by fix of his own, Twenty four Pages and Footmen in rich Liveries, and fixty odd Coaches of the Chief Nobility. When arrived at the Court, he was received by the Chief Marshal (who is in the Nature of a Lord Chamberlain) at the Stairs Foot of the Palace, and conducted to his Majefty, who receiv'd him standing under a Canopy. Whereupon his Excellency deliver'd his Mafters Compliments in a Latin* Speech, in which he gave Affurances of the King of Great

* This Speech was written in English by Mr. Hyde, and turned into Elegant Latin by Dr. South.

Britain's inviolable Attachment to that Prince's Interests, congratulated him upon the last Treaty of Peace, brought to a happy Conclufion with the Infidels, and made Overtures to enter into fuch Alliances with the Crown and Republick of Poland, as fhould be judg'd most conducive to the Honour and Safety of both Nations.

To this his Polish Majefty gave a very agreeable and fatisfactory anfwer, in the fame Language, which he had readily ad Unguem, and caufed the Embaffador afterwards to fit down at the fame Table with him, where he was attended by the Chief Officers of State standing, it being a Custom in Poland to admit none to that Honour but the Princes of the Blood."

་་་

-This King is a very well spoken Prince, very eafy of Accefs, and extream Civil, having most of the Qualities requifite to form a compleat Gentleman. He is not only well verfed in all Military Affairs, but likewise through the means of a French Education, very opulently stored with all polite and Scholaftical Learning. Befides his own Tongue the Sclavonian, he understands the Latin, French, Italian, German, and Turkish Languages: He delights much in Natural History, and in all the parts of Phyfick; He is wont to reprimand the Clergy for not admitting the Modern Philofophy, fuch as LeGrand's and Cartefius's into the Universities and Schools; and loves to hear People Difcourfe of thofe Matters, and has a particular Talent to fet People about

him

him very Artfully by the Ears, that by their Dif putes he might be directed, 'as it hapned once or twice during this Embally; where he fhew'd a Poignancy of Wit on the fubject of a Dispute held between the Bishop of Pofen, and Father de la Motte a Jefuit, and his Majefty's Confeffor, that gave me an extraordinary Opinion of his Parts.

As for what relates to his Majefty's Perfon, he is a Tall and Corpulent Prince, large Fac'd, and full Eyes, and goes always in the fame Drefs with his Subjects, with his Hair cut round about his Ears like a Monk, and wears a Furr-Cap, but extraordinary rich with Diamonds and Jewels, large Whiskers, and no Neck-cloth. A long Robe hangs down to his Heels, in the fashion of a Coat, and a Waftcoat under that of the fame length tied clofe about the Wafte with a Girdle. He never wears any Gloves, and this long Coat is of strong Scarlet Cloth, lin❜d in the Winter with rich Furr, but in Summer only with Silk. Inftead of Shoes he always wears both Abroad and at Home TurkeyLeather Boots with very thin Soles, and hollow deep Heels made of a Blade of Silver bent Hoopwife into the Form of a Half-Moon. He carries always a large Scymiter by his fide, the Sheath equally flat and broad from the Handle to the Bottom, and curiously fet with Diamonds.

His Majefty Married Mary de la Grange, Daughter to the Marquifs of Arquien, fometime after his Acceffion

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