022 COXE's TRAVELS IN RUSSIA .

has a cupola of copper gilt, and four domes, of tin or iron painted green. We amend-ed a new belfry, built by the Einprefs Elizabeth, which is not an inelegant piece ofarchitecture ; it commands a line view of the adjacent country, which is gentlywaving, richly cultivated, producing much grain, and thickly Itrewed with villages.The archimandrite or abbot of the monaftery being abfent, we could not obtain per-miffion to fee the library, which occafioned feme regret, becaufe, according to Buf-ching, it contains a curious collection of books*.

In the principal church a few tombs drew my attention.

The firft was that of Maria Queen of Livonia, probably the only perfon who everbore that title, an empty honour, which flie may truly be faid to have purchafed at adear rate. Maria, lineally defcended from Ivan Vaffilievitch I., was a relation ofIvan II f. She efpoufed, in 1573, Magnus Duke of Holftein J, and titular king ofl.ivonia, who was railed to that dignity by Ivan Vaffilievitch II. in ail extraordinarymanner. Livonia, bordering upon Ruffia, Sweden, and Poland , and reciprocallyclaimed and polleffed by thole three powers, was, in the middle of the fixteenth cen-tury, partly free, partly fubje'Ct to Poland, and partly to the Swedes, when the Tzar made an irruption, and conquered a ftnall portion. Well acquainted, however, withthe averfion of the natives to the Ruffian fceptre, he declared that he entered theircountry with no interefled views; had no other ambition than to refcue them fromthe Swedilh yoke; and, renouncing all right of conqueft, would only ftyle himfelftheir protestor: he exhorted them to eleCt for their fovereign Magnus, brother ofFrederic II. King of Denmark , who, in the capacity of Biffiop of Pilten, had fomepretenfions to Livonia. This propofal being cheerfully agreed to by a great partyamong the natives, the Tzar difpatched an embaffy to Magnus, who accepted theproffered crown j and repairing without delay to Mofcow, was formally inftalled in

• Bufching’s Erd-befchreibung, vol.i. p.852.

f Ivan Vassileevitch I.

VaSSILI IVANOVITCH.

I

Ivan Vassilievitch II.

Andrew Ivanovitch ofStaritza, died 1537.

Vladimer Andrevitch,died 1750.

Maria, married to Magnus.

Eudokia.

p Magnus was lbn of Chriilian III. King of Denmailc, and is known in hiftory by feveral different•appellations:. He is fome times ftyled King or Livonia, from his mock-fovereigntv in that country ;fometimes Duke of Holftein, from his inheriting a portion of that duchy on the deceafc of his father ;and Bifhop of Aifel, from his exchanging his part of Holftein for the bifhoprics of ftEfcl and Couriand,which lie iecularized. Holberg, the Danifii hiltorian, mentions a bond for 1500 marks, which was fign-ed : “ We Magnus, by the grace of God , Lord of iEfel and Wick, Bilhop of Couriand, Adminillrator ofthe Bifivoprick of Reval, Heir of Norway , Duke of Schlefwick, Holftein, Stormar, and Ditmarlh, Count ofOldenburgh and Delmenhurft.” Titles, as the hi'lorians remark, which could »ot procure him even afinall turn of money without his bond. Hoiberg, v rl. ij. p. 48g.

his