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152 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686 et Magnorum Ducura Johaiinls Alexiades
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
152 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1686
et Magnorum Ducura Johaiinls Alexiades, Petri Alexiades, totlus Majoris,
Mlnoris et Albae Russiae Autocratorum, multorum dominiorum et terrarrum
orientalium, occldentaliiim et septentrionalium Dominorura, Haeredum,
Successorum, Imperatorum et Possessorum, Iraperialis eorum Majestatis
proximo Bojaro, Duci Basilic Basilidis Golitzin, augustiorls Imperii sigilH
custodi et supremo magnarum legationum et rerum Imperii Directori, et
Nouogrodiensi Locumtenenti.
I rose early, and tooke my ordinary walke in the Links, and takeing
my leave of these pleasing places, I returned, and, haveing heard devotion,
dined sooner as ordinary. The magistrates, about twelve a clock, came to
me, and called me. They convoyed me to the boat, where I tooke my leave
of them, and others my ffriends, and with my sonne, brother, and Walter
and William Gordon, went aboard our ship. The skipper and merchant
comeing, our ffriends tooke leave, and wee hoised saile, and with a fresh
gale of wind, held on our course. Yet wee keeped sight of Scotland till neer
night, and with sadd hearts, bidd it farewell. I went immediately to bed,
being not well by reason of the great tossing, which continued all night,
the next and third day, and the fourth, litle better, albeit wee entred by the
Jutshe RifFe, and passed the illands of Lesow, Anout, and the dangerous rock
called the Trindle. The shipp was called the Christin, of Borrowstowness ;
skipper, Robert Gumming.
By day light, wee had a sight of the Kole, but, by contrary winds, were
kept farr to the north of it, so that wee passed this whole day laboreing
till, in the evening, haveing reached the point, and the wind more favourable,
and pilots comeing aboard, wee sailed forward, and, a litle after midnight,
let our anchors fall in the road befor Elsonure.
Wee went ashoare very early, and called at Mr. Melvills, where
haveing bespoke our dinner, wee walked out into the ffields. Here, I received
a letter from Mr. Cambridge, and returned ane answer thereto. Haveing
dinned, I payed our skipper, Mr. Gumming, for fraught for my self, and
foure more, twenty doUers ; it cost me lykewise, drink money and other
expences here, and on the ship, foure dollers. And haveing notice of an
English ship going for Riga, wee bespoke him, and though he would not
come to ane agreement with us for our fraught and victualls, yet about two
a clock afteruoone, wee went aboard of him, haveing lirst taken our leave of
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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