1662-3] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 55 accept of him as a suitor. The answer was a blush, which satisfied Gordon

Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"

1662-3] DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. 55

accept of him as a suitor. The answer was a blush, which satisfied Gordon that he had nothing

to fear on her part. Her mother and uncle were unwilling to give their consent in her father's

absence, but at last they agreed tiiat Gordon should be received in the house as a suitor, and

that the young lady should not go anywhere in public without him. A few days afterwards, he January lis.

records that they assisted at the marriage of Lieutenant Colonel Winrum with Juliana Keith,

and found themselves very happy, although they were the objects of envy and hatred.

Gordon now devoted himself to the task of procuring the liberation of Colonel von Bock-
hoven, as a necessary condition of his own marriage. But his exertions, although earnest and
long continued, were unsuccessful ; and, at length, the mother and other kinsfolks of his be-
trothed so far relented, that the marriage was celebrated in the beginning of the year 1665.

In the meantime circumstances had arisen which ultimately issued in Gordon's being sent on
a mission to England. They are thus chronicled in his Diary:—]

[A.D. 1662.]
At this tyrae a great ambassy was prepareing from the Tzaar to cou- January 13.
gratulate our Kings happy restauratioii ; Knias Peter Simonovitz Prosorof-
sky being ordained ambassadour, and his colleague Ivan Affonaseovits Zela-
bofsky.*



[A.D. 1663]
Wee had notice of the English ambassadour, the Earle of Carlile,t his septSer e.
arrivall at Archangell, with his lady, and a great traine.

I received a letter from the English ambassador, and another from October 15.
Mr. Bryan, J showing that some things were wanting for the ambassadors
suit, desireing me to provide them so quietly that no body should know-
The things were, two silver trumpets with banners, wherein my Lords amies

* [The German editors add that the embassy t [Charles Howard, first Earl of Carlisle. An

was accompanied by the Dyak Iwan Davidow, account of his embassies to the north was pub-

who, on leaving Kngland, was despatched, lished in his own lifetime: 'A Kclation of

along with ZeUibofsky or Shelabowsky, to Three Embassies from his ^Alajesty Charles 11

Italy Prince Prosorowsky returned to Mos to the Great Duke of Jloscovie, the King of

cow in March, 1664, with a letter from King Sweden, and the King of Denmark, performed

Charles II to the Czar, which was translated l)y the Darl of Carlisle in the years 1663 and

into the Russian by Colonel FoiTCt, an Englisli- 1664, wi ittcn by an Attendant of the Embassies

man serving under the Muscovite banners. London, 1669.' 8vo.]

Glimpses of the embassy during its abode in i [Thomas Bryan was an English merchant

London, may be seen in Pepy's Diary, vol. ii., settled at Moscow Letters from the King of

pp. 70, 74 87, 93, 169, edit., Lond. 1851. The Great Britain to the Czar were often entrusted

ambassador occupied York House, where, says to his care ; and some of tiiem, which are still

the Secretary ot the Admiralty, ' I saw his preserved in the Muscovite archives bear to

people go up and down louseing themselves.'] have been translated by him into the Russian ]