Monfieur Golofkin is of an ancient Family; he was Great Chamberlain, and on the Death of Chancellor

Count Golowin was made Lord Chancellor

of the

of the Empire, which great Employment he Empire modeftly declined for several Months; he is a Gentleman of good Senfe, very devout, and has the general Character of a Man of Honour: No one ever complained of his Cruelty and Injustice, though fome think he is not refolute enough in oppofing that of others. He was made Count of the Roman Empire and of Ruffia about three Years ago.

Vice

Monfieur Schapfirroff is of no great Extractions his Grand-Father was one of the Jews carried out of Poland in their former Wars, Chancellor his Father was baptized, and he professes the Ruffian Religion: in 1705, he was private Secretary to Count Golowin, to whom his Diligence and Knowledge of the High-Dutch Tongue made him abfolutely neceffary; on the Count's Death he was made Secretary to the Office of Embaffies, and in 1709, Vice Chancellor with Count Golofkin; all foreign Affairs go neceffarily through his Hands; he has more Experience than natural Qualifications; he is generally esteemed fair enough in his Business, but his quick Preferments have given him an Air of Stiffness, and it is faid his private Interest will not always let him diftinguish the Merits of the Cause.

Privy Counsellor.

Prince Dolgorucki, who fome Years ago was the Czar's Embaffador in Poland, is often joined to thefe Gentlemen in the Confultations on any foreign Affairs, but the executive Part is entirely left to them; he is a Perfon of good Senfe, Manners, Modesty and Honour.

! Monfieur Apraxin is of a good Family, his Ancestors having been Stolnicks, or Sewers; High-Admiral. the old Emprefs Dowager, Mother of the Czar's eldest Brother, is his Sifter; this Alliance brought him into Court and Favour, which he foon improved by a ready Wit, and a Conscience not enflaved to any Scruples to obftruct his Fortune; he had been Commiffioner of the Admiralty for many Years, and on Count Golowin's Death was made High Admiral; in 1709, he was made Governor of Ingria in Prince Menzicoff's Abfence, and had the good Fortune to fee the Swedish Army under General Lubecker kill their Horfes, and retire out of that Province unaccountably; which Mifcarriage turned as his own Merit, and thereby increased his Credit with his Prince; he is very revengeful, and no Enemy to Prefents; he appears openly against the Favorite, and has great Credit at Court, but his Indifcretion in Drink, when in the Czar's Company, fometimes exposes him to difagreeable Accidents.

Felt Marshal Sheremetoff is of a very ancient Family, famous for producing lucky GeneFeit Marfbal. rals against the Tartars, of which Success

he

he has alfo had his Share in the late Turkish War: In his Travels to Italy, he made a Campaign on the Galleys of Malta, and is honoured with a Crofs of that Order. He is the politeft Man in the Country, and most improved by his Travels, is magnificent in his Equipage and way of Life, extremely beloved by the Soldiers, and almoft adored by the People; he enjoys a vigorous Age at fixty and odd, has Goodnature, Honour, and as much perfonal Valour as any Man, but not Experience enough to act against an Army of regular Troops; he often fuffers under the Favorite's Perfecution, and has more than once defired Leave to lay down his Command, but has always been refused.

There are feveral other Minifters who come intą the Privy Council, but as they confine themselves to the domeftick Affairs, and have no remarkable Degree of Favour, or Influence in Matters of State, I shall not trouble you with their Names or Employments, but proceed to some small Account of the Czar's Riches.

Riches.

The Commerce Coin of Mufcovy is a fmall Piece of Silver, about the Bigness of an English

Penny, called a Copeek,

Silver Coine

Formerly there was no Coin but Copeeks, and the other Names were only to fignify fuch a Number, for the Eafinefs of the Tale; but in 1703, great Quantities of Specie, Rubles, half Rubles, &c. were made, though the Mass of Money is still in Copeeks.

Value.

All great Sums are generally reckoned by Rubles, or an hundred Copeeks, the intrinsic Value whereof may be about 4 s. 4 d. English, but in the Course of Exchange, is generally reckoned at 6s. 8d. and fifteen Years ago was 10s.

An hundred Rubies weighed twelve Pounds in John Bafilowitz's Time, who reigned from Weight. 1540 to 1584, and were kept up to eleven Pounds till the Reign of his prefent Majefty; but fince the War, and growing Neceffities of the Treafury, have been reduced by Degrees to fix Pounds twelve Ounces and three Quarters, English Weight. An hundred Rubles of old Copeeks weighing ten Pounds, are received in the Treafury, at an Allowance of fifteen per cent. and are there melted down into new Copeeks.

The Standard fhould be of the fame Goodness with Lyon Dollars, viz. twelve Ounces fine filver, Standard. and four Ounces Alloy to the Pound Weight, but most that is carried into the Mint is not above ten Qunces fine Silver, and being seldom tryed when melted, their Coins are of different Value, as the Run happens to be good or bad; Plate, Dollars,

and

and old Copeeks being all melted together, with an additional Alloy of Brass.

Imported.

The Silver is Crofs Dollars, Lyon Dollars, and Albertus Dollars, with unwrought Plate, brought from Holland and Hamburgh, and Bremen. Of Dollars yearly from two or three Thoufand; Part to clear the Merchants Cuftoms; Part in return of Brass Money, which the Treasury often advances to Foreigners, to be repaid in Dollars at two Years end, and partly for the Advantage of the Exchange, in the Course whereof to Holland, a Dollar is only rated from fixty-two or feventy-three Copeeks; but can be fold in Archangel from eightyfive to ninety Copeeks.

Gold Coin.

In 1702, the firft Ducats were coined with the Czar's Stamp, at twenty fix Carrats, being the Value of Holland's Ducats; but next Year the Direction of the Mint was taken from the Foreigners, and the Chinese Gold, being only at twenty or twenty-one Carrats from one to three Grains, was left without refining, which utterly decried those Ducats, and very few have been coined fince 1706. The Gold is imported in Ingots from China, about three hundred and fixty Pound Weight English Yearly, befides fome thousand Ducats brought every Summer by the Fleet to Archangel.

In 1705, the Czar began to coin Brafs Copeeks, Halves and Quarters, thirty-fix Pound of Brafs. Brafs, English Weight, which is bought in 04

Mafco,