COXe/s TRAVELS IN RUSSIA.

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was, in 1508, inftalled in this cathedral Patriarch of Ruffia, by Jeremias, Patriarch ofConfhmtrnople. The ceremony of tranflating the fee from the capital of Turkey tothis city is thus dcfcribed by an author who was himfelf prefent *:

“ On the 215th of January, 1588, the Greek Patriarch, accompanied with the RulTecleargi, went to the great church of Prechefle, or our Ladie, within the F.mperour’scaftle, where he made an oration, and delivered his refigriation in an rnllrument of writ-ing, and-fo laid down his patriarchal llaffe ; which was prefently received by the metro-polite of Mofko, and divers other ceremonies ufed about the inaugration of the newpatriarch/'

The in oft venerable of Job’s fucceffors in the patriarchal fee was Philaretes, who,though no ibvereign himfelf, is celebrated as the founder of that line of Ruffian mo-narchs, diflinguifhed by the name of the houfe of Romanof f. His fecular name wasFeodor, and he drew his lineage from Andrew, a Pruflian prince, who came into Ruffiaabout the middle of the fourteenth century, and whole immediate defendants enjoyedthe higheft offices under the fovereigns of this country. Feodor was fon of Nikita Ro-manovitch, great grandfon of Andrew, and brother of Anaftafia, firlt wife of Ivan Vaf-filievitch II. When Boris Godunof was elevated to the throne, the high birth, greatabilities, and popularity of Feodor Romanof, rendered him fo obnoxious to the newmonarch, that he was compelled to affume the priefthood, and confined in a monaftery,on which occafion he, according to the Ruffian cuftom, changed his name to Philaretes.

On the aceeflion of the fovereign whom the Ruffians call the Falfe Demetrius, Phila-retes was releafed from confinement, and appointed to the archbifiiopric of Roftof. Soonafter the depofition of Vaffili Shuifki, a ftrong party among the nobles having agreed toele£I I.adiflaus, fon of Sigifmond III. King of Poland , Tzar of Ruffia^ Philaretes wasdifpatched at the head of an embaffy, to fettle the conditions of his fon’s election. Hefound the Polifh monarch engaged in the fiege of Smoleniko; and when the King de-manded the immediate ceffion of that town, Philaretes replied, “ When your fon hasafcended our throne, he will poffefs not only Smolenfko, but all Ruffia, and it ill becomesyou to difmember his territories.” Sigifmond, exafperated at this fpirited reply, and ftillfarther inflamed by the remonflrances of the Ambaffadors againfl his conduct towardsRuffia, arreffed and threw them into prifon. Philaretes languifhed nine years in thecaftle of Marienburgh J, in Pruffia, under a rigorous confinement.

His abfence, however, did not diniinifh the veneration which the Ruffians entertainedfor his character : the whole nation unanimoufly conferred the crown on his fonMichael, a youth only in the feventeenth year of his age; in hopes that a peace withPoland would relfore ’Philaretes to his country, and render him the director of thatpower with which they invefted his fon. This expedition was gratified at the truce ofDevelina, concluded in 1619, between Ruffia and Poland , which gave Philaretes to thewifhes of the people. On his arrival at Mofcow he was confecrated patriarch, and became

* Flet, her’s Ruffia, chap. 21. This author adds, that Jeremias, whom he calls Hieronimo, had been,either banifhcd from Conltantinople by the Turks, or depofed by the Greek clergy; that he came toMofcow without any invitation from the Ruffians, to obtain money from Feodor Ivanovitch, and with thisviewpropofed the tranftation of the patriarchal fee from Conftantinople to Mofcow. Others deny that hewas either depofed or baniihed, and relate, that the T/.ar having formally demanded the confent of the fourPatriarchs of Alexandria, Antioch , Conltantinople, and Jerufalem, to the edabiifhment of a new Patriarchin Ruffia, they acceded, to the requeft, and folemnly deputed Jeremias to Mofcow, who in vetted the metro-politan Job with the new dignity. King on the Greek Church, p. 496.

f In confequence of a cu.ilom prevalent among the Ruffians to adopt the appellation of the grandfatherfor a family name, the new royal line was called Romanof, in honour, of Roman, Feodor’s grandfather.

£ Bufching. Hitt. Mag. v. ii. p. 403.

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