turn attacked by the Coffacks, and cut to Pieces with all his People; this occafioned a general Revolt, and employed the Czar about ten thoufand Men near two Years, in which Troubles many of their Towns were burnt, and no Quarter given to Man, Woman, or Child; befides feveral hundreds who were publickly executed at Veronitz: This has very much difpeopled the Country, and made the Name of Mufcovy odious to the reft. In their moft flourishing Condition, they might be rekoned at fifteen thousand Men fit to bear Arms.

The Coffacks of the Ukraine are much more numerous and confiderable, their Dominions the Ukraine, extending feveral hundred Miles between the River Borifthenes, or Neiper, and the Don; in 1654, they, with their Hetman, on ill Ufage, revolted from Poland, and put themselves under the Czar's Protection, giving him up Chioff, Czernifhoff, and feveral other ftrong Towns, as Pledges of their Fidelity. This Country is extremely well peopled, and tilled; their Towns are many, all fortified with a dry Ditch, earthen Wall, and Palisadoes; the Villages are large, and neatly built with Wood; they drive a great Trade in Hemp, Pot-afh, Wax, Corn and Cattle; they live in much Ease and Plenty, enjoying the fame Privileges as those on the Don, which, with their Riches, drew upon them the Envy of the Muscovite Nobility and Government, who by Degrees made feve ral Incroachments on their Liberties; and from hence sprung an universal Discontent, and the Re

volt

volt of Mazeppa to the King of Sweden; which being ill managed, the Refidence Town of Bathurin was immediately taken and burnt, and above fix thousand Perfons put to the Sword without Di ftinction of Age or Sex.

Coffacks of the
Zaparob, or

Falls

The Zaparovian Coffacks are juft of the fame Temper and Manner of Life with those on the Den; they are fo called from the Falls in the River Boristhenes, about which they feated themselves chiefly for their greater Security and Convenience of their Incurfions against the Turks and Tartars: When the Coffacks of the Ukraine, difcouraged by the fevere Execution at Bathurin, set still, thefe openly declared for Mazeppa, and continued firm to him to the laft; two or three Thoufand followed his Fortune to Bender, and are still with the King of Sweden; most of the reft were cut to Pieces, so that the Remains of that Name are at prefent very inconfiderable.

From these Accounts it is plam the Czar's Strength must be chiefly computed from his national Muscovites, from whence alone Muscovites. his regular Forces are formed and maintained, if you except fome few Contributions from the Morduars and Czeremefs Tartars, who by Degrees have. been civilized and fubjected. The high- Their Numest and most probable Computation of her their Numbers is, by

I have seen another, by which the Empire was divided into eighty-four Parts, for raifing the Czar's Fleet in 1697:

Thefe Calculations comprehend all the Mufcovites and their feveral Colonies, from Chioff to China and the Ice Sea.

As the Ground lies in moft Parts untilled, and the Improvement of every Gentleman's Revenue is the Number of his Peafants, or Subjects; it has been the old Maxim of the Muscovite Officers in all their fuccefsful Wars to carry off as many of the People as they could, and plant them on their own Estates:

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Several Towns on the Wolga, are the Fruits of their former Expeditions in Poland and Lithuania; and they have at prefent drained above one third of the Inhabitants from Ingria and Livonia, and fettled whole Villages of them in the Southern Parts towards Veronitz, who, finding their new Slavery easier than their old, the Earth more fruitful, and the Climate more gentle, would, I believe, never return back, though left at Liberty; an irreparable Lofs to the King of Sweden, if ever thofe Provinces fhould return to their former Mafter. Ingria has in fome Measures been re-peopled by Colonies of Muscovites: Moft of the great Families now in being are of foreign Extraction; as the Galliczyns, Apraxins, Narefkins, &c. from Poland; the Circafkys from Tartary; and the Czar prides himself in a Pruffian Original,

They are divided into three Ranks, the Nobility, called KNEAS; the Gentry, called DVORNINS, and the PEASANTS.

Degress

The KNEAS, or Dukes, were anciently Heads, of the little Governments into which this Country was divided, but were all fub- Nobility dued in Time by the Princes of Volodomir, whe traflated their Refidence to Mofco, and took upon them the Title of WELIKI KNEAS, or Great Duke: The Races of thefe Families ftill retain their ancient Title, and several Poles tranfplanted thither, as they became confiderable, affumed the fame Mark of Diftinction, on Pretence of being deN 4 fcended

fcended from their WAYWODES, or Palatines. This Title is differently refpected, according to the Re venue or Employment of the Perfon; for thofe Dukes who fubmitted on Condition, and received Eftates in Exchange for their petty Sovereignties, still continue in fome Splendor; others have raised themselves again by their civil or military Service, while the reft are reduced to the lowest Poverty and Contempt: And two Years ago, there were near three hundred Knears common Soldiers in Prince Menzicoff's Regiment of Dragoons. To remedy the Confufion of this Title, the Czar has begun fince his Progrefs to make fome Alterations: His Jate firft Minifter Golowin, and General Gordon, were made Counts by the Emperor; Alexander Menzicoff his Favourite, was made Prince of the Empire, four Years ago: But the Czar's Ambition increasing with his Success, he thought of bestowing his own Honours, and foon after created Prince Menzicoff, Duke of Ingria. When Monfieur Colofkin, his prefent firft Minister and Great Chancellor, was made a Count by the Emperor, he received foon after the fame Title from the Czar, who has fince made his High Admiral Apraxin, and Lord Privy-feal Sotoff, both Counts, without any Recourse to the Imperial Court, and defigns by Degrees to introduce the Title of Barons and Knights; he has already inftituted an Order of Knighthood in Honour of St. Andrew, who wear a blue Ribband and Star in Imitation of the Garter.

The