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126 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 religion* At night wee cast anchor
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Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
126 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686
religion* At night wee cast anchor in the rivers mouth, not fan* from
Margat,
Seeing small hopes of getting up the river in hast, I, with some other
gentlemen, caused our selves be put on shoare, and so did go on foot, about
three miles to Margat, where, and at putting on shoare, I payed two shillings
six pence. Here I hired two horses to Canterbury, paving for them, nyne
shillings, and to the boy, six pence, it being fjfteen miles ; for wine, six
pence ; for post horses to Sittingbourne, being twelve miles, eight shillings.
At Sittingbourne, an old woman gave me retour horses, for which I payed
but fyve shillings, and to the hostler, four pence. I had not ridden four
miles, when one of the horses wearyed, so that I had enough ado to gett
him driven to Rochester, Avhere I was forced to lodge, paying for lodging,
bier, and brandy, sixteen pence ; for horse, sixteen pence ; drink money, ten
pence.
I rode away befor day, and with great trouble gott the wearyed horse
brought to Gravesend, being from Rochester fyve miles, and from Sitting-
bourn, thirteen miles. Payed to a youth, who showed us the way, six
pence, and for breakfast, fyfteen pence. I bespoke a paire of oares, and
payed for myself, son, and a litle boy, whom I found in the boate, and had
nothing to pay, six pence a peece. I went into the Mitre taveme, in
Gracious Street,t and, calling for a bottle of wine, and some bread, I sent
to seeke Mr. Meverell, and Mr. Wulffe, and Mr. Spence. But none of them
was to be found ; wherefor, paying sixteen pence, I tooke up my lodging in
the same street. All these I sent for came to me in the evening, and my
cousin, Alexander Gordon, from whom I had the present transactions.
Here I payed for a gazet, one penny ; for supper and lodging, eight shillings
seven pence ; drink money, fyve pence.
Mr. Meverell, and my cousin Gordon, comeing to me in the morning,
I tooke coach, and road to Yorke Buildings, and tooke my lodging by John
Hayes, whom I employed to make a suite of cloaths for me, according to
the fashion. Generall Drummond, and other friends, came to visitt me.
The Generall told my Lord Melfort,:!: of my being come, who, haveing
showne the King thereof. His Sacred Majestic ordered me to be brought to
him the next morning, about eight a clock. I furnished my self this day
* [The Edict of Nantes had been revoked ^ [One of the two principal Secretaries of
six months before.] State for Scotland.]
t [Gracechurch Street.]
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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