Related
1667] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 99 I went to Altenaw and heard devotion
68 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666 24. I did wrltt to Mosko, to my wyfe and mother in law
146 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [168G Haveing dyned, and hearing my trunks were come from Edinburgh
110 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 I gave up my petition
136 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 Queens hand; whereat his Majestic smileing
1686] DIAEY OF PATRICK GORDON. 113 I gott our landlord to conduct
1667] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 97 storme, wee could not gett over to Embden
1667] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 103 to me, desireing me to let him have him
150 DIAEY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 Nethermuir. I went thereafter to the Links
78 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666 ingly rejoyed to hear of my mother m law and see us
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
78 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1666
ingly rejoyed to hear of my mother m law and see us. Haveing dined, wee
hired a waggon, and went towards Bruges, and lodged in a village half way,
where wee had good wholesome countrey fare.
Haveino; breakfasted, wee set forward, and came to Bruges about two
aclock afternoone.
Here I stayed some weakes, expecting the going away of the fleet from
Ostend for England, with a great deale of impatience, albeit I had many
wayes to divert me ; for, in the morning early, I went over the way to the
monastery of the Capucine Fryers, and heard the masse ; then, at halfe ten,
I went to the monastery of the English Nuns, after the Princes Pallace, and
heard masse againe ; and getting acquaintance, wee did meet at the place
where the Lady Abbess useth to sitt and give audiens at a trally,* and there,
with others, heard what passed. In the afternoone, I either went with the
English residents, and other Scots and English, and passed our tyme at the
Trey, with a glass of wyne and joviall discourse ; or then went to the
Nunnery, where three young gentlewomen lately come from Lowen, and
going for England, lodged, and passed the tyme with them at cards or
discourse ; or went sometymes and walked about the walls, to see the
monasteryes, waterworkes, and other things worthy of notice. Wee had
sometymes in the Nunnery after vespei's, at my desire, excellent vocall
musick, whereat many people of all nations and religions were often present.
I did writt to JMrs. Plowden, desireing her advice for buying in of neces-
saries and makeing of cloaths for my wyfe and mother in law, to the which
I received a very civill and respectfuU answer, dated the sixteenth. Being
wearyed of lying or staying in one place, I found fitt to writt to England,
and give notice of my being here, and desire assistance for my passage. So
I did writt a letter to the Earle of Lawderdale, and another to Mr. James
Mettellane, his secretary, to that purpose, and complaining of Captain Hill
of Detford, who would not take me into the Kings yacht. Li the meane,
wee heard the sad newes of the burning of the citty of London,! diverse
posts haveing been kept up.
I did writt to General Dalyell and to Lieventennant Generall Drum-
mond,| as also to my father and unkle.
* [TreiZ/zs— a grating, or lattice.] X [Thomas Dalyell of Binns, and William
t [The Great Fire of London broke out on Drummond of Cromlix, together entered the
the second, and raged till the sixth of Septera- Kussian sorvico in 1656, and having risen, the
ber, 1666.] one to the ranlc of (ieneral, tlie other to that
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.