"А.Г.Маньков. Иностранные известия о восстании Степана Разина " - читать интересную книгу автора

TOTAL OVERTHROW OF THE GREAT REBEL STEP AN RADZIN, WITH HIS ARMY OF ONE
HUNDRED THOUSAND MEN, BY THE GRAND GZAR OF RUSSIA, AND HIS RENOWNED GENERAL
DOLERUCKO

WRITTEN BY AN ENGLISH FACTOR, FROM THE PORT OF MOSKOW

The Narrative
Most worthy Employer,
Sir,
The daily Fears we have long here entertain'd, rendred our lives the
next event (in Reasons expectation) to have been inhumanely torn from us,
and, with us, your and the rest of the worthy Employers Estates to have been
ransacked, and swallowed up. Which Cares now to distrust unprevented, were
great impietie: Providence hath so protected us, and Ensured yours, that,
were not Miracles ceased, this sudden turning our Weeping into excess of
Joy, might be esteemed so wonderful.
Nor were those timerous motives the jealousies of us Strangers alone:
for, few days antedate of these, the increased power of the Rebel Radzin
spread so vastly in Campaigne before this Town and Metropolis of this
Country, that the great Dukes best subjects had not else before the eyes of
their imagination, but the inevitable extirpation of this Empires Grandeur;
until, by a very late Result, at the Congrawize or Council in Moscow, twas
resolved the General Dolerucko should give them Battel. Which resolution, in
its first birth, was favour'd by the Czar's quiet pass by the Rebels, to
joyn with the General; which the Rebels might with ease have prevented;
whereby they must have lain at so incommunicable a distance, that they could
not have afforded a timely assistance one to other.
But, being thus happily joyn'd, on the 13 of the Kalends of February 16
70/71, upon the great Plain of Wariaschal, some five caitans or miles from
Moscow; which goodly Plain of the world is Croned on each side with stately
cloud-breaking Hills, the foot of each beautified with a plenteous River;
this Plain holding their distance six miles one from other, so enduring it
self in a level Valley from Moscow sixty miles to Wrackoza, where her
fruit-affording streams, like sisters in Bounties love, twist themselves
into the Ambonine Ocean, welcome (from their long travel in circulation run)
into their first mothers womb again.
Here Madam Nature likewise, desirous to take her children home, had
provided this fair and so large a Tomb, whilst on her aged hoary head, and
dewie face, by Nine that morn, the Imperial Forces were on Wariaschal's
(other days pleasant, now bloudy) Valley drawn up; whose strength, in two
Bodies managed, whole and compleat, consisted of more then Eighteen thousand
Horse, commanded by known valiant Conductors, and Infantry of the
double-numbred force, led by Commanders of like unquestionable gallantry;
with so great Ammunition-stores, as might some days employ their braving
mindes; an Artillery-Train of 28 Field-Cannon, 18 Demy, 26 whole Culverin;
with Saich, Partridge, and Murderes, on Carriage, above 40.
Thus equipped or fitted, drew down their Bodies, the Right by the
General Dolerucko, the other by the Czar commanded; Faced the Enemy, whose
more numerous Body by 20000 Horse and Infantry, in their own thoughts
securely advance, in like Bodies, the Right led by the grand RebelStepan