drew other knights professing the same order in Prussia to aide and
accompanie them in this their enterprise) and that with great labour and
difficultie, conuerted vnto the Christian faith: when as at the same time
the Liuonians had no knowledge at all of the iurisdiction, religion,
maners, or language of Moscouie: who had not onely no conuersation nor
dealings with the Moscouites, but were estranged also from all other
nations whatsoeuer: for leading a miserable, poore, barbarous, and
heathenish life, in sauage maner among wilde beastes, and in the desert and
solitary woods, they were vtterly ignorant of God and destitute of ciuil
magistrates. Howbeit this kind of gouernment was peculiar vnto them, namely
that all of one familie and society vsed a kinde of reuerence vnto their
elders more then to any other, whom also, that their authoritie might be
the greater, they called by the name of kings, and (albeit one of their
families consisted of a 100 persons) they obeyed them in al respects, and
after their rude and barbarous maner did them loyal seruice. At the very
same time the Moscouites had receiued the religion, and the Ecclesiasticall
ceremonies of the Greeke and Easterne Church, which religion they published
and dispersed throughout all prouinces subiect to their dominion, vsing
their owne proper letters and characters for the same purpose. Of all which
things the Liuonians which very barbarously inhabited a lande beeing
enuironed with Russia, Lithuania, Samogitia, Prussia, and the Balthic Sea,
neuer heard any report at all. It is moreouer to be noted that neuer at any
time heretofore either within the earth, or in other places of Liuonia,
there haue bene found any monuments at all of the antiquitie or letters of
the Russes: which verily must needs haue come to passe, if the Moscouites,
Russes, or any other nations which vse the foresaid particulars, had borne
rule and authority ouer the Liuonians: yea there had beene left some
remainder and token, either of their religion and diuine worship, or of
their lawes and customes, or at the least of their maners, language, and
letters. This indeed we can in no wise deny, that euen in Liuonia it selfe,