Exploring Russia in the Elizabethan commonwealth by Felicity Stout

Author:Felicity Stout [Stout, Felicity]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Russia & the Former Soviet Union
ISBN: 9780719097003
Google: sYPgyAEACAAJ
Publisher: Manchester University Press
Published: 2015-01-15T00:36:33+00:00

God’s providence in Russia

In contrast to the popular images used to represent Russia as idolatrous or spiritually barren by Western Europeans in this period, Fletcher’s assertion of God’s providence at work in the country sheds a different light on Russia’s situation. No other commentator reflects so positively on the work of God in Russia. If and when God was mentioned in other English accounts it was in reference to God’s protection over his faithful (English) servants, ‘Doe you observe good order in your dayly service, and pray unto God, so shall you prosper the better’;26 or in the form of instructions to the English journeying to Russia to stay godly, ‘that no blaspheming of God, or detestable swearing be used in any ship, or communication of ribaldrie, filthy tales, or ungodly talke to be suffred in the company of any ship’.27 ‘God’ or ‘gods’ were also mentioned derisively in discussions of the Russian religion and the Russians themselves: ‘[I]‌f one aske them how many gods there be, they wil say a great many, meaning that every image which they have is a god.’28 George Turberville, secretary to Randolph, during his embassy in 1568–9, was particularly disparaging of the Russians’ attitude towards God and their idolatry, ‘Sith with the hatchet and the hand, their chiefest gods be made. / Their Idolles have their hearts, on God they never call.’29

Fletcher, however, identified several ways in which God’s purposes, God’s blessing and God’s concern for Russia and the Russian people were revealed: ‘First, furres of all sortes. Wherein the providence of God is to be noted, that provideth a naturall remedie for them, to helpe the naturall inconvenience of their countrie by the colde of the Clymate.’30 Fletcher also attributed to God’s providential design the particular geography of Russia: ‘[T]‌he countrie throughout is very well watred with springs, rivers, and ozeracs, or lakes. Wherein the providence of God is to bee noted, for that much of the countrie being so farre inland, as some part lieth a 1000. miles and more every way from any sea, yet it is served with faire rivers.’31 In the primitive building of their houses with wood (not stone), even there God had provided Russia with enough trees to do this cheaply, ‘wherof the providence of God hath given them such store, as that you may build a faire house for twentie or thirtie rubbels’.32

The providential blessings bestowed on Russia were depicted by Fletcher in his extensive description of the land: firstly in his thorough detailing of the soil, produce and resources of Russia and secondly in the positive tone and familiar language he used in his descriptions of the Russian countryside. For instance, his portrayal of Russia in the summertime bore much resemblance to the season in England: [T]‌he woods (for the most part which are all of fir and birch) so fresh and so sweet, the pastures and medowes so greene and well growen, (and that upon the sudden) such varietie of flowres, such noyse of

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.