besides the guides; and we came to the Moscow the fourth day of
October, and were lodged that night in a simple house; but the next
day we were sent for to the Emperor his secretary, and he bade us
welcome with a cheerful countenance and cheerful words, and we
showed him that we had a letter from our Queen's grace to the
Emperor his grace, and then he desired to see them all (and that
they might remain with him, to have them perfect, that the true
meaning might be declared to the Emperor), and so we did; and then
we were appointed to a better house; and the seventh day the
secretary sent for us again, and then he showed us that we should
have a better house, for it was the Emperor his will that we should
have all things that we did lack, and did send us mead of two sorts,
and two hens, our house free, and every two days to receive eight
hens, seven altines, and twopence in money and medow and a certain
poor fellow to make clean our house and to do that whereunto we
should set him; and we had given many rewards before, which you
shall perceive by other, and so we gave the messengers a reward with
thanks; and the ninth day we were sent to make us ready to speak
with the Emperor on the morrow. And the letters were sent us that
we might deliver them ourselves, and we came before him the tenth
day; and before we came to his presence we went through a great
chamber, where stood many small tons, pails, bowls, and pots of
silver (I mean like washing-bowls), all parcel gilt; and within that
another chamber, wherein sat (I think) near a hundred in cloth of
gold, and then into the chamber where his grace sat, and there, I
think, were more than in the other chamber, also in cloth of gold;
and we did our duty, and showed his grace our Queen's grace's
letters, with a note of your present which was left in Vologda, and
then his grace did ask how our Queen's grace did, calling her
cousin, saying that he was glad that we were come in health into his