the glory of the Christians of the Latin Church, reputing themselves
to be followers of a more sincere faith and religion than they; they
hold opinion that we are but half Christians, and themselves only to
be the true and perfect Church--these are the foolish and childish
dotages of such ignorant barbarians.


ON THE MUSCOVITES THAT ARE IDOLATERS, DWELLING NEAR TO TARTARIA.


There is a certain part of Muscovy, bordering upon the countries of
the Tartars, wherein those Muscovites that dwell are very great
idolaters; they have one famous idol amongst them, which they call
the Golden Old Wife, and they have a custom that whensoever any
plague or any calamity doth afflict the country, as hunger, war, or
such like, then they go by-and-by to consult with their idol, which
they do after this manner: they fall down prostrate before the
idol, and pray unto it, and put in the presence of the same a
cymbal, and about the same certain persons stand, which are chosen
amongst them by lot: upon their cymbal they place a silver toad,
and sound the cymbal, and to whomsoever of those lotted persons that
toad goeth he is taken, and by-and-by slain; and immediately, I know
not by what illusions of the devil or idol, he is again restored to
life, and then doth reveal and deliver the causes of the present
calamity. And by this means knowing how to pacify the idol, they
are delivered from the imminent danger.


OF THE FORM OF THEIR PRIVATE HOUSES, AND OF THE APPAREL OF THE
PEOPLE.