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42 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1661 misfortune
1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 163 and equity which I had on my syde
1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 141 Being invited to devotion and dinner, by my Lord Chancellour
1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 131 Htle way, and being four, wee hired a coach
1689] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 165 memory, the younger Czar
1667] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 97 storme, wee could not gett over to Embden
1686] DIAEY OF PATRICK GORDON. 113 I gott our landlord to conduct
136 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 Queens hand; whereat his Majestic smileing
110 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 I gave up my petition
1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 117 maides, 1 doller 1 floren 14 pence
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 117
maides, 1 doller 1 floren 14 pence ; coach hire, 4 dollers ; drink money to
the coachman, 2 florens ; to the inspector, 3 dollers 16 pence ; linnen
washing', 1 floren 13 pence ; to Mr. Brownes maid, 12 pence ; to the doctor,
1 doller ; medicines, 4 dollers ; apothecary, 1 floren 4 pence ; postage of
letters, 14 pence.
My father* came to Dantzick. Wee began our journy. We ware con- March 9.
woyed by the cheif Scotsmen in Dantzick to Harmans, and was interteaned
their by them, being the pleasant place, from Dantzick a half myle, and
lodged in Sagorski, two myll and a half from Putsky ; and haveing past
through Oliwa, wee left the Carthusiane monastery the left hand. Payed
for fyve and a half stoup of bear, sixteen and a half grosse ; for beddeng,
six grosse ; for brandie, wyn, and wages, three gross and a half.
Through a litle towne called Neu Stat, a myll. This is a little open March lo.
towne, with many churches and holy places ; and, two mylles further, baited
in a crue ; then two mylles further to the towne of Lawenburg, which is the
judiciall city of this country. It hath a brick wall, furnished with many
quadrat and round toures, and a river running on the wast syde of it, which
could be brought round the towne, hot the hill on the east near it, hinders
it from being any considerable fortrese. It, with the whole destrict, be-
longeth in former tymes to the croune of Polland ; hot, by the treatie of
Ohva,t it came to the Elector of Brandiburg, whose territors begin two myll
and a half eastward of this towne. Wee rod two mylles further, and lodged
in a crue belonging to the Generall
All this and yesterdayes journy being through a low walley, barran March ii.
sande, and stony ground, with hills on both sydes, cloathed with firre,
oaken, and other trees, yet, on the left hand, better furnished. Wee crossed
only two or three hills which interrupted the walley passage. Given out at
midday, nine grosse for three stoup of bear, and three grosse by the way
for bear. Lodged by the river Lupon, in the new red crue, belonging to
Cornall Grunku, being four my lis from Stolpa. Payed here, for bear, cages
and bedding, twenty two gross and a half.
By day light, tooke journy to the river Russa, where a gentlemans Marcii 12.
house, willage, and myll, one myll and a half ; and dyued in Stolpa, by a
* [This, and a few other pages of the
Diary, were obviously written by Gordon's son, t [23 April, i GGO ]
at his father's dictation.]
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.