Oh, what a tangled web we weave. When first we practise to deceive!

Walter Scott. 1808

 

This post is subtitled – When England “Discovered” Russia.

I’ve been reading a thesis on Giles Fletcher the Elder. I like theses because they are written by people who are in-with-the-in-crowd and who have access to more arcane sources than we, plebs, do!

Mr Fletcher (1546-1611) was sent to Russia as Ambassador in 1588 by Queen Elizabeth I. On his return he wrote and published Of the Russe Commonwealth. (1591)

His book followed the 1586 publication of Albion’s England which studied the inception, progression and activities of the newly formed Muscovy Company and it’s recent (1553) DISCOVERY of Russia….’a Barbaric land on Christendom’s border.’ (No comment)

 

Muscovy Company Seal

 

Muscovy Company Map (No Tartaria but has HORDA)

 

For some reason (?) Russia was very important to the Virgin Queen. Even her favourite, Robert Devereaux, Earl of Essex announced to her that he was going to learn Russian…‘The most famous and most copious language in the world.’ (!)

 

So – the Russian language is the most famous in the world, yet the people there are barbarous and cruel? Well, Britannia ruled the waves and she gave the Brits full permission to conquer the whole darned Earth, I guess.

This thesis is a bit hard on the old Monday morning brain-box. But it is full of interesting information that highlights where the seams, patches and not-quite-invisible stitches are in our modern day historical narrative – if you know where to look.

I will look into it again soon.

:o)