1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 125 stuiver. From thence to Workum
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
1686] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 125
stuiver. From thence to Workum, four houres, in the common boat.
Payed for fraught, sixteen stuiver. From hence wee hired a large vesell,
and payed, all of us, ten florens, being the ordinary fraught ; my share corae-
ing to three florens fourteen stuivers ; drink money, six stuiver ; toll for us,
two stuiver each ; for bringing my baggage to my lodging, eight stuiver.
Wee came to Amsterdam in the morning early, being twelve houres from April 3.
Workum. Payed here, for trimming, eight stuiver ; and at the Doll, for
seeing pictures and wyne, twelve stuiver ; at the Swane, for wyne, thirty
stuiver ; for a trunk, seven floren six stuiver ; for a lock, nyne stuiver ; for
a hatt, three floren eighteen stuiver ; for dyet in two dayes, nyne
florens ; drink money, twelve stuiver ; for washing some hnnings, fourteen
stuivers.
Being Easter, I heard devotion. After dinner, went and saw the Doll, April 4.
the ships, the Old Church, and the Rhathouse, the principall streets and
buildings of the city.
I went early to boate, and came to Harlam, Leyden, and to the Hague, April 5.
paying the ordinary fraught; and for supper and breakfast, seven floren
eight stuivers ; for coach hire, twenty foure stuiver ; wages, twelve stuiver,
in the signe of the Scots Armes.
1 went by boat to Delft and Rotterdam, and lodged in the signe of April 6.
Dundee ; fraught to Delft, ten stuiver ; to Rotterdam, twenty stuiver. Here
I did meet with many good firiends, and stayed two nights. Bought lace to
kravates and rufles for fyfty foure florens ; payed in my lodging, eight florens
twelve stuiver ; wages, twelve stuiver ; extra, twenty six stuiver ; for eleven
bookes, twenty eight stuiver ; for wine on the way, a doller ; for other pro-
visions and necessaryes, foure florens ; for breakfast that day, twenty six April 7.
stuiver ; and for fraught, twenty shilhngs sterling ; for bed, fyve shiUings ;
wages, fyve shillings.
Wee sailed dowue the river Schie, and anchored anent Delft Sluis. April a
Wee anchored befor the Briell, where, and at the Delft Sluis, it cost me April 9.
twenty eight stuiver.
Wee weighed anchor, and went out with the morning tyde, with ^P"/, \l[
difficulty getting over the flattes, and then with a pretty gale of wind made
towards the EngUsh coast, a sight whereof wee had the next day called
Lands End, which is reckoned to be forty eight leagues. Aboard this ship
were many passengers, most whereof French, fleeing, as they said, for their
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.