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94 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667 any Prince of State to His Imperiall Majestie
Summary
Passages from the diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries : A.D. 1635-A.D. 1699"
94 DIARY OF PATRICK GORDON. [1667
any Prince of State to His Imperiall Majestie my master, but is attended
from and to the borders of his dominions, and furnished with all the con-
veniencies the countrey affoords, expecting the same reciprocally from others.
It is no wonder if I be troubled at my delay, serving such a master, whose
will is no sooner knowne as executed, and will scarcely beleeve, or think it
strange, not to heare the lyke of any other Prince, in such a case as myne.
If the season of the yeare could permitt, or I be answerable for my longer
stay, I would be loth to be so importune, and, likewise, if it were not to be-
tray my trust, I should be very sparing in the relation to my master of the
occasion of my detention. But since now, of necessity, I must take the first
conveniency, and If that be the pacquet boat, if I shall chance to be rob'd,
His IMajesties letters and effaires, which concerne the good of the English
nation, miscarry, where the blame will ly I leave it to your selfe to conjec-
ture. Yet, hopeing still that you will send an order, which, with your
answer, by this my servant, I shall expect at Greenwich, at the signe of
the . . .
This produced an order to the captaines of the Swallow and Hawkes, to
either of them, lying in the Downes, to take me in and waft me over to
Flanders.
I received a note from Lieutennant Generall Drummond, desireing to
know where he could speak with me in the evening. I sent him word that,
at the Beare at the Bridgefoot,* I should wait for him at two aclock after-
noone. So, haveing dined with Sir John Hebden and others ffriends, I
went thither, whither also came the Lieutennant Generall about halfe a
howre thereafter. He gave me a full power to recover two thousand rubles
from Mr. James Cooke, merchant in Mosko, which he remained indebted to
him, as also a letter to Doktor CoUins, to deliver me his bond. Haveing
supped, and remembred our ffriends in hearty cups, wee parted.
James Burnet of Leyes,! haveing most earnestly entreated me for the
lend of five pund sterling, I sent a note to Mr. Peter Webster to deliver
him the money.
* [A tavern of note. It was at this house, the retinue of an Ambassador from the "Way-
it is said, that, a few wcelts afterwards, the wodeofKiew. See above, p 30. He appears
Duke of Richmond persuaded tlie beautiful to have been the youngest son of tlio lirst
Frances Stewart to run away with him.] knight baronet of Leys. — See Douglas' Baron-
t [Gordon had encountered this fellow- age of Scotland, p. 42.]
countryman some years before in Poland, in
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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