of their old commercial amity with England, they had chosen
otherwise, or would yet change their views! That, however, is
rather beyond the immediate business of this letter; which is to
request them either to release the noble Swede, Count Konigsmarck,
who has become their prisoner by treachery, or at least make his
captivity easier.

(C.) TO THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA, _April 1657_:--On the throne of
this vast, chaotic, semi-Asiatic Empire at this time was Alexis,
the son and successor of Michael Romanoff, the founder of that new
dynasty under which Russia was to enter on her era of greatness. He
had come to the throne, as a young man, in 1645, and had since
then, in the despotic Czarish way, continued his father's policy
for the civilization of his subjects by cultivating commerce with
the neighbouring European states, and bringing in foreigners for
service in his armies or otherwise. On the execution of Charles I.,
however, he had broken utterly with the Regicide Island, and had
ordered out of his dominions all English adherents of the
Parliament. He alone of European Sovereigns had at once taken this
high stand against the English Republic. But events, Russian
interests, and communications from the Protector, had gradually
brought him round. Since 1654, when a certain WILLIAM PRIDEAUX had
been sent to Russia as agent for the Protector, the trade with
Russia, through Archangel, had resumed its former dimensions, under
rules permitting English merchants to sell and buy goods at
Archangel, and have a factory there, but "not to go up in the
country for Moscow or any other city in Russia."[1] The envoy
himself, however, had visited Moscow; and his long letters thence,
or from Archangel, had thrown much light on the internal condition
of that strange outlandish Muscovy, as Russia was then generally
called, about which there had been hitherto more of curiosity than
knowledge. The immense wealth of the Emperor, his vast military
forces, the barbaric splendours of his Court, the Oriental
submissiveness of the people and their oddities of dress and
manners, the peculiarities of the Greek Religion, the great
resources of Russia, and the obstructions yet existing in the way
of trade with her, had all become topics of English gossip. But, in
fact, Alexis had become a considerable personage in general
European politics. By wars with Poland, and other populati