1662-3] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 55 accept of him as a suitor. The answer was a blush, which satisfied Gordon
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
1662-3] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 55
accept of him as a suitor. The answer was a blush, which satisfied Gordon that he had nothing
to fear on her part. Her mother and uncle were unwilling to give their consent in her father's
absence, but at last they agreed tiiat Gordon should be received in the house as a suitor, and
that the young lady should not go anywhere in public without him. A few days afterwards, he January lis.
records that they assisted at the marriage of Lieutenant Colonel Winrum with Juliana Keith,
and found themselves very happy, although they were the objects of envy and hatred.
Gordon now devoted himself to the task of procuring the liberation of Colonel von Bock-
hoven, as a necessary condition of his own marriage. But his exertions, although earnest and
long continued, were unsuccessful ; and, at length, the mother and other kinsfolks of his be-
trothed so far relented, that the marriage was celebrated in the beginning of the year 1665.
In the meantime circumstances had arisen which ultimately issued in Gordon's being sent on
a mission to England. They are thus chronicled in his Diary:—]
[A.D. 1662.]
At this tyrae a great ambassy was prepareing from the Tzaar to cou- January 13.
gratulate our Kings happy restauratioii ; Knias Peter Simonovitz Prosorof-
sky being ordained ambassadour, and his colleague Ivan Affonaseovits Zela-
bofsky.*
[A.D. 1663]
Wee had notice of the English ambassadour, the Earle of Carlile,t his septSer e.
arrivall at Archangell, with his lady, and a great traine.
I received a letter from the English ambassador, and another from October 15.
Mr. Bryan, J showing that some things were wanting for the ambassadors
suit, desireing me to provide them so quietly that no body should know-
The things were, two silver trumpets with banners, wherein my Lords amies
* [The German editors add that the embassy t [Charles Howard, first Earl of Carlisle. An
was accompanied by the Dyak Iwan Davidow, account of his embassies to the north was pub-
who, on leaving Kngland, was despatched, lished in his own lifetime: 'A Kclation of
along with ZeUibofsky or Shelabowsky, to Three Embassies from his ^Alajesty Charles 11
Italy Prince Prosorowsky returned to Mos to the Great Duke of Jloscovie, the King of
cow in March, 1664, with a letter from King Sweden, and the King of Denmark, performed
Charles II to the Czar, which was translated l)y the Darl of Carlisle in the years 1663 and
into the Russian by Colonel FoiTCt, an Englisli- 1664, wi ittcn by an Attendant of the Embassies
man serving under the Muscovite banners. London, 1669.' 8vo.]
Glimpses of the embassy during its abode in i [Thomas Bryan was an English merchant
London, may be seen in Pepy's Diary, vol. ii., settled at Moscow Letters from the King of
pp. 70, 74 87, 93, 169, edit., Lond. 1851. The Great Britain to the Czar were often entrusted
ambassador occupied York House, where, says to his care ; and some of tiiem, which are still
the Secretary ot the Admiralty, ' I saw his preserved in the Muscovite archives bear to
people go up and down louseing themselves.'] have been translated by him into the Russian ]
Gordon was brought up and remained a lifelong Roman Catholic, at a time when the Church was being persecuted in Scotland. At age of fifteen, he entered the Jesuit college at Braunsberg, East Prussia, then part of Poland. In 1661, after many years experiences as a soldier of fortune, he joined the Russian army under Tsar Aleksei I, and in 1665 was sent on a special mission to England. After his return, he distinguished himself in several wars against the Turks and Tatars in southern Russia. In recognition of his service he was promoted to major-general in 1678, was appointed to the high command at Kiev in 1679, and in 1683 was made lieutenant-general. In 1687 and 1689 he took part in expeditions against the Tatars in the Crimea, being made a full general. Later in 1689, a revolution broke out in Moscow, and with the troops under his command, Gordon virtually decided events in favor of Peter the Great against the Regent, Tsarevna Sophia Alekseyevna. Consequently, he was for the remainder of his life in high favor with the Tsar, who confided to him the command of his capital during his absence from Russia. In 1696, Gordon's design of a "moveable rampart" played a key role in helping the Russians take Azov. One of Gordon's convinced the Tsars to establish the first Roman Catholic church and school in Muscovy, of which he remained the main benefactor and headed the Catholic community in Russia until his death. For his services his second son James, brigadier of the Russian army, was created Count of the Holy Roman Empire in 1701. At the end of his life the Tsar, who had visited Gordon frequently during his illness, was with him when he died, and with his own hands closed his eyes. General Gordon left behind him a uniquely detailed diary of his life and times, written in English. This is preserved in manuscript in the Russian State Military Archive in Moscow. Passages from the Diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries (1635–1699) was printed, under the editorship of Joseph Robertson, for the Spalding Club, at Aberdeen, Scotland, 1859.
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