there haue bin in times past and at this present are many and diuers
languages spoken by the people. Howbeit no one language of them all hath
any affinity either with the Moscouian tongue, or with the tongues of any
other nations. But whereas the Moscouite pretendeth that there hath been
visually paide a pension or tribute vnto himselfe and his predecessours out
of the whole prouince, it is as incredible as the former.

About the beginning of this tragicall warre, the Moscouite, to cloke his
tyranny and ambition vnder some faire pretense amongst other of his
demaunds, made mention also of a tribute which should be due vnto him out
of the bishop of Dorpat his iurisdiction, whereof notwithstanding hee could
neither bring any iust account, nor affirm any certainty: howbeit there is
no man liuing to be found which either can tell of his owne remembrance, or
from the relation of others, that any such tribute was euer paid vnto the
Moscouite. What time therefore he referred al this negotiation vnto the
master of the Liuonian order, and commanded him to get what knowledge hee
could therof from the men of Dorpat, and vrged the tribute, saying if it
were worth but one haire, that he would not remit it: at length it was
found recorded in the ancient Chronicles of Dorpat, that beyond the memory
of man, when the territory of Plesco contained nothing but woods and
forrests for wilde beastes, that the peasaunts of the liberty of Dorpat
called Neuhus, by the consent of the Russian borderers, enioyed Bee hiues
in the said woods, and paid euery yeere in lieu thereof vnto the Russian
gouernours, sixe shillings of Liuonian coine. But so soone as the Russians
had felled the woods and had built townes and villages in their place, the
saide pension ceased together with the trees which were cut downe.
Wherefore the saide sixe shillings were neuer since that time either
demanded by the Russes or paid by the Liuonians. These things which I knew
concerning the causes of the Liuonian warres I thought good to signifie
vnto you. Giuen the 22. of May, in the yeere of our Lord 1576.