b o o k Every lover of literature muft regret, that Mr. Muller,
. i who is admirably qualified for the talk, has not favoured
the publick with a regular, unbroken hiftory of this
country; but, on account of his advanced age* an undertaking
of this kind, although all the materials are
already prepared, cannot be expeited from him : he muft
therefore confign to others the ufe of thofe papers, which
he has fo diligently accumulated. He will, however, always
be confidered as the great father of Ruffian hiftory, as well
from the excellent fpecimens he himfelf has produced, as
from the vaft fund of information which he bequeaths to
future hiftorians.
Sept. ro. This day being facred to Alexander Neviki, a
faint highly revered by the Ruffians, and in whofe honour
an order of knighthood is inftituted, was kept with great
folemnity and magnificence. Service was performed in the
principal churches of Mofcow with all the pageantry peculiar
to the Greek religion ; and the governor of the province
gave a fplendid entertainment, to which the principal
nobility and clergy of this city were invited. . As ftrangers
we were defirous of obferving the ceremonies of the day,
and by the attention of our acquaintance our curiofity was
amply gratified. But before I proceed to give a defcription
of what occurred upon this occafion, it may be necelfary to
premife a fhort account of the faint who gave rife to this
feftival, and who, though adored by the Ruffians, is fcarcely
known beyond the limits of this country.
Alexander Neviki, a name more refpedtable than moil of
the faints who fill the Ruffian Calendar, was fon of the great-
duke Yaroflaf, and flourifhed in the beginning of the 13th
century, at a period when his country had been reduced to
the
the utmoft extremity b y a combination of formidable ene- c h a p .
mies. He repulfed an army qf Swedes and Teutonic knights,. ^ .
and wounded the king of Sweden with his own hand on the
bank of the Neva, from whence he obtained the appellation
of Neviki. He defeated the Tartars in feveral engagements,
and delivered his country from a difgraceful tribute
impofed by. the fuccefibrs, of Zinghis Khan. His life feems
to have been almoft one continued fbene o f action ; and he
lhewed fuch prowefs, and performed fuch almoft incredible
a£ts of valour, that it is no wonder ignorant and fuperftitious
people fliould coniider him,as a fuperior being, and ihould
conlecrate his memory.;. indeed, of all idolatry, that which
is paid to real merit, and in gratitude for real fervices, is the
moft . natural, and the moft excufable. He died about the
year T262 at Gorpdqtz near. Niffinei Novogorod. The great
fuperiorjty of his character was evinced,fas. well by victories
which, diftinguiffied the Ruffian arms during his life, as by
the hunjerous defeats which immediately took place on his
deceafe,.,
: ‘The,morningjo f this-anniverfary /wasuihered in by the
IW ip l o f bells uncommonly loud ; imceftant peals refounded
in C.very quarter o f the ,city,, but more particularly in, the.
Kremlin;, which contains :the principal churches and the
largeft ,bells, , Before eleven ,we paid our rcfpects to prince
Volkoniki,. Who, as governor o f the province o f Mofcow,
had a levee : he wore; the- red ribband o f the order o f St.
Alexander, and received the compliments o f the principal
nobility and gentry. From the levee we, repaired to the
cathedral o f St. Mi.chael, and were prefent at high mafe; performed
b y the archbiffiop.of Roftof.,. T h e church was filled:
with i'uch an immenfe concourfe o f people, that it was with
the utmoft difficulty we could penetrate to the bottom o f the
fteps