The Mena weekly star., 1896-09-02
FROM THE GAR TO TIE QUEEN.
The First Embassy svar Tram Rnssla ss
 England, in I51S-


 England, En I51s@
 At this moment it may not be unin- tercsting to note that it. uax dnrinR the yeign of the first czar, 1xsan lT-. sur named Grozin (. C., the yTeTrihlc), thak the earliest relations on recnrtf of friendly negotiations between EnSland and Russia took place. It was, in fact, 5n 1856 that the first of1sefal enobassy svas sent to the court of S1~ Jannex, and discourse of the horrTzble receiving into England of the first ambassador from the Empcrour 0S arzsia in the yere of Christi i55G, wFas printed by one Haltuyt a few years later Sad to say, inc voyagers encountered the sall per fIs of the sea--even to the Erngth of be- ing wrecked off the iniIoSpitabte coast of Aberdeenshire. and the following quaint account of the shipsFrscz is pre- served in a contemporary .'llistorie of Scotland" by Joseph Lesley, Bishop of Ross
 About this tyme Cshe end of the year 1556) taair come anc grrssbip, and with her a pink, furth of Moscovia, bowin towards Ingland with aHc am bassador from the emperor of Musco- via, quhilk and pink was driven be gTet stormes and windiS apoun the northest of Scotlande, at K .yrsardih held, within the countrey of Jsnebane, quhair gret nombre of their cunnpanie was dronjt and boith the ahipFsS, the moist pairt of his guidis lossss De tho vTsske of the sey; bot the amlIasSa<Io'Ir him. selfe was saved, with gret pnft of his eompaDic, and was wein entcrtezit be the countreymen, and coHyeyit fhelKfre to Edinburgh to the qusszRe regent, quha efter guid jnteYtcHeuaens caused the Lard Hwme accompanie him to Der wik in the moneth of Febrrar thairef- ter"
 Some account of this first embassy ir also mentioned by HoliDshed in 1857. and although it's purpose was undeabty edly commercial as we'll as political une, it was a well-caIculnEcs1 stroke of policy on the part of Ivan, aI1d tine 'Scer- faine letters tcnderly conccived,~ as well as the princely present. usere man afest tokens of amity and friendship, not only between Ivan " and Philip J 10th realms. These said 'tfcnderly con- eeived" credentials unIucIdIy perished in the disastrous wreck, Sp1 fhc pres ents sent by the czar were. sad to re- Rate. "spoyled by the Scots after the shipwracke.r It is, howevex, recorded that they were of the rioss lavish de- scrirtion, comprising rich sahies, some Tf them entire skins, exceedipriy bcan- aiful, with teeth, ears ard claws; four living sanles, with chains and collars; l tusnruls and furs. worn 0rley by the 1 .emperour for woorthncsz9-" Also, a 1 "large and faire white jerfascon for the 1 srilde swanne, crane. goose. and other great fowles. together with a tIrumme pf silver, the hoopes gilt. used for tine | Hnre to call the sayd Haplrr-"
 After a stay of only some weeks in I H,ondon (which seems strange, consid- l srfng the trouble he bad of getting Rere), the envoy took hix leave again, charged with all manner of gifts for -Four cousin" tho ear, such as -rich t1oth of tissue, scarlet, violet in grain, end fine azure cloth" also "a notable | pair of brigandines, with murrian, iCovered with crimson velvet and gilt | pnailes. Item-a male and female lfons~ Eater. however, during Elixzbeth's reign, we hear of another Russian am | fsnssador. His name was Eeoeior Pisen- | Ski, and twas through this gentlcman's 8nstrumentality that Ivan " endeav- bred to secure the hand of Lady Mary ! daughter of the earl of Hunt I zngton, aA his eighth wife The lady, | bvho at first seemed willing, refused on t.second thoughts to share Ivan's | Throne, and her reconsideration of the l offer may not have been wholly discon- Ecctcd with certain recoIlections of | Henry VII.'s various consorts and the | incidents which went to | shorten some of these ladies' lives. Still, l 4van, as long as he lived, seemed to have | Saankered after the good will of Eng | fand. On one occasion he wrote to ask | sffizabeth whether, in the event of his | Being forced to leave his own Kingdom. l 1he would find refuge in this country, | and on another occasion he expresses l Through Sir Anthony Jenlxinson (the l English ambassador lis desire that | England and Russland might be fin all | snanncrs as one"
 There is no doubt that Ivan, in spite | If the atrocities which characterized | Ghe latter years of his reign, was i k1eyer and astnte ruler. He appears to | Nave sought every means of eIevating l the condition of his country, both by l the arts and manufactures