Lloyd E. Berry, Robert O. Crummey, eds.. Rude and Barbarous Kingdom: Russia in the Accounts of Sixteenth-Century English Voyagers. 1968; Madison: University of Wisconsin Press, 2012. xxiii + 391 pp. $34.95, paper, ISBN 978-0-299-04764-1.

Reviewed by Maike Sach

Published on H-HistGeog (August, 2013)

Commissioned by Eva M. Stolberg (University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany)

For a long time, European travel accounts on material in this edition, repeatedly reprinted in Muscovy and Russia have been valuable sources older editions and compilations, was modernized for researching late medieval and early modern in spelling, punctuation, and capitalization by Russian history.[1] Using various methods and ap‐ Lloyd E. Berry, a specialist in English literature. proaches, publications originally written and Robert O. Crummey, well known for his excellent printed in the sixteenth century depict Muscovy studies in premodern Russian history, was re‐ in general, and its rulers and form of government sponsible for the general introduction, placing the in particular. The reports can be divided into two writings--which are very diferent in extent, con‐ major groups: texts of continental origin and writ‐ tent, and comprehension--clearly and briefy in ings by English authors. This classifcation is not historical context. He also wrote the essays that merely a geographical one but rather a funda‐ introduce the primary texts and their authors. mental matter of perspective defned by the very The annotation of the travel accounts was a col‐ nature of the encounters of trading Englishmen laborative efort of both editors. The book was and Russians on the one side and the violent con‐ frst published in 1968, and soon became a suc‐ fict of Russians and their continental neighbors cessful standard sourcebook both in research and in the long-lasting Livonian War (1558-82/83) on university teaching. The fortieth anniversary of the other. its publication was celebrated by a festschrift ded‐ The present volume is a reprint of a collection icated to Crummey (Rude & Barbarous Kingdom of travelogues and reports belonging to the frst Revisited: Essays in Russian History and Culture group. These important primary sources reveal in Honor of Robert O. Crummey [2008], edited by the objectives and development of English-Mus‐ Chester L. Dunning, Russell E. Martin, and Daniel covite relations from the middle of the sixteenth Rowland). Its title points to the negative judg‐ century until the end of the Elizabethan Age. The ments of the early English voyagers. H-Net Reviews

Berry and Crummey chose travel accounts As already mentioned, not only merchants from six early English voyagers to Muscovy. They found their way to Russia but diplomats also trav‐ difered in professional background, education, eled and reported their adventures. They were intellectual profle, and taste. Among the selec‐ appointed by Queen Elizabeth I to negotiate with tions are accounts by adventurous merchants the court of Ivan IV the renewal of privileges of looking for new markets in “exotic” countries like the Muscovite Company against commercial com‐ Muscovy and searching for hitherto unknown sea petitors. Thomas Randolph, conducting a diplo‐ passages and geographic information to outrival matic mission in 1568-69, for example, visited continental competitors in trade. They are fol‐ Moscow in the terrible times of the oprichnina, a lowed by writings of experienced Elizabethan special regime or system of terror established by diplomats in negotiations at the Muscovite court Ivan in the early 1660s. From a professional point of the tsar, Ivan IV Grozny. A poet joined one of of view, in his short text, he carefully documented those diplomatic missions and also recorded his ceremonial practices in diplomatic relations on (stereotyped) perceptions. the occasion of his reception at court and the al‐ In a frst section headlined “Two Early Voy‐ most usual remarks on customs and manners of ages,” the editors present Richard Chancellor’s re‐ Russians. Unfortunately, he did not use his obvi‐ port of a voyage exploring the sea route from Eng‐ ous talents for observation of matters related to land through the North Sea, sailing in an eastern the oprichnina. One cannot but agree with the ed‐ direction and northward to the Scandinavian itors’ regret regarding Randolph’s silence on these Peninsula into the White Sea. The original aim of topics. Randolph was accompanied by George the expedition, which contained two other ships, Turberville, a young poet and a future writer. under the command of Hugh Willoughby was to Three letters to friends, which he composed in fnd an alternative route to China, but the venture verses, mirror his negative impressions from his failed in the autumnal storms and the Russian stay in Russia. The image he created of Muscovy, winter. Only Chancellor and his crew survived Russians, their lives, and manners was generally and discovered Muscovy for the English trade. In speaking unfattering and stereotyped. his report, Chancellor described not only the chal‐ The most important publication from an Eng‐ lenges of the journey but also the geography of lish writer on Russia up to the times of Peter the Muscovy, including the main cities and their eco‐ Great is “Of the Russe Commonwealth” by Giles nomic signifcance. His account contains a de‐ Fletcher. Fletcher, a man of letters, traveled to scription of the ceremonies at court and percep‐ Moscow during the reign of Feodor Ivanovich, the tions concerning the juridical system and reli‐ son of Ivan IV. His special task was to negotiate gious matters. the preservation of exclusive rights and privileges Like Chancellor, Anthony Jenkinson was a of the English Muscovy Company menaced by the merchant who visited Muscovy several times. He opening of the market. During his stay, Fletcher was an appointed member of the Muscovite Com‐ gathered knowledge from English merchants liv‐ pany, a trade company chartered in 1555. Jenkin‐ ing in Russia and valuable information from son won the respect of Ivan IV and was able to Jerome Horsey, a diplomat and adventurer, who travel throughout the country. In his report of his spent several years in Russia. In his record, frst journey (1557-58), he collected a lot of geo‐ Fletcher discussed history and described Mus‐ graphical data and information on the manners covite institutions as well as various chapters of and customs of Russians. Russian everyday life.

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Horsey’s memoir is the last text of the collec‐ sary of Russian terms, which is especially helpful tion to be discussed here. Horsey appears as ad‐ for students and a broader audience not trained venturous as well as dazzling and enigmatic. Due but interested in early modern Russian history. to his long stay in Russia (1573-91), his Russian Today, due to the Internet and retro-digitalization, knowledge, and his connections to the Muscovite early modern texts, prints, or their later editions court, he was well acquainted with Russian life are more accessible than in 1968, the year of the and politics and served both Queen Elizabeth and frst publication of Rude & Barbarous Kingdom. the tsar as ambassador at the respective courts Even so, the collection is still of scientifc and during a number of diplomatic missions. Many practical value thanks to the thoroughly scholarly mandates and commissions from diferent pa‐ work of the two editors. trons, including diferent, perhaps sometimes Perhaps one could have desired an additional conficting, loyalties were a great challenge for selected bibliography specifying some studies the preservation of credit and confdence. Horsey dealing with early English-Muscovite relations, seemed to have failed this special challenge in his their clear emphasis on trading and economic is‐ late career in Russia. He had numerous conficts sues on the English side, and the more complex with members of the Muscovy Company and f‐ concerns and shifting focus due to the develop‐ nally lost the confdence of former patrons at the ment of internal and international afairs on the Russian court, especially his most important pro‐ Russian side. Yet the texts presented here provide tector Boris Godunov, brother-in-law of the tsar the reader with multifaceted information and and high dignitary at court. In his “Travels,” convey impressions of how the English voyagers Horsey gave lively and complex portraits of the perceived Russia and the Russians. And though leading characters in Muscovy combined with their perspectives in describing Muscovy were anecdotes and gossip from the last years of the based on diferent political experiences, both Eng‐ reign of Ivan IV up to Ivanovich. But Horsey was lish and continental European verdicts attributed less systematic in his writing than Fletcher and “rudeness” and “barbarism” to Muscovy and its sometimes confused facts and events, though he population. was not always deliberately misleading in his ac‐ Note count. [1]. Some insightful studies on early modern Especially concerning the reading of Horsey’s travelogues include Gabriele Scheidegger, Per‐ “Travels” but also regarding the remaining texts, verses Abendland--barbarisches Russland: Begeg‐ the editors’ annotations are most welcome and nungen des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts im Schatten helpful. The editors verifed or challenged the tes‐ kultureller Missverständnisse (Zürich: Chronos timonies of the authors by using written records Verlag 1993); and Marshall T. Poe, “A People Born of additional primary source material or informa‐ to Slavery”: Russia in Early Modern European tion from current research by other scholars. Ethnography, 1476-1748 (Ithaca: Cornell Universi‐ Their clear annotations provide necessary histori‐ ty Press, 2000). cal context and an adequate interpretation of the travelogues. is Although the collection along with the anno‐ tations and commentary is “only” a reprint and met in the not a revised and updated version, the conclu‐ attributed  sions and remarks drawn from additional source material are new. This holds true also for the glos‐

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Citation: Maike Sach. Review of Berry, Lloyd E.; Crummey, Robert O., eds. Rude and Barbarous Kingdom: Russia in the Accounts of Sixteenth-Century English Voyagers. H-HistGeog, H-Net Reviews. August, 2013.

URL: https://www.h-net.org/reviews/showrev.php?id=37799

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