Beauplan.
On Tuesday following the Maids have their Revenge, but more cunningly: several of them hide themselves in a House, with each of them a Pitcher full of Water ready, and have a little Girl that stands Sentinel, and gives notice by some sign, when a young Man goes by; then all the Maids run out into the Streets, and seize the Man with great Shouts; which the Neighbours hearing, all the Maids flock to their assistance, and two or three of the strongest holding him, the rest pour all their Pitchers of Water down his Neck, and let him not go till he is well wash'd. This is the Sport between young Men and Maids at Easter.
A drunken custom
The Men play another Game on Easter Monday, which is, that they go in the Morning in a body to the Castle to meet the Lord, who devoutly expects them; and after making their Obeysance, every one draws near, and presents him with Pullets, or some other sort of Fowl. The Lord in return for these Offerings, treats his Vassals with Aqua Vitæ, causing the Head to be beat out of a Cask, which is set upon the other Head in the middle of the Court: Then all the Peasants make a Ring about it, and the Lord comes with a great Ladle, which he fills, and drinks to the eldest in the Company, then gives the Ladle to him he drank to; so they all drink round, and begin again till the Cask is out; and if it be out before Night (which often happens) the Lord must cause another full Cask to be brought instead of the empty one, for he is bound to treat them after this manner till Sun-set, if the Peasants can hold out; but after Sun-set they sound a Retreat. Those that are able go home, those that cannot lie down in the Street and sleep it out, unless their Wives and Children have so much charity as to lay them on a Hand-barrow and carry them home; but they who have over-charg'd themselves, remain in the Court of the Castle to sleep their fill. It is an odious thing to see those Wretches so drunk, without having eaten a morsel of Bread, rolling in their filth like Swine: And I have seen one of those brutal Fellows carry'd away dead upon a Cart, and it was not then above two a Clock in the Afternoon. Those are strange Customs which make Men die miserably; and how brutish is the Proverb they have always in their Mouths, That a Man had as good drink fair Water, if he does not feel the Effects of drinking? Those People can hardly sleep after their common Meals, but when they are drunk they sleep sound; so that the next Morning they remember nothing that happen'd the day before, Drunkenness so drowning their Reason that they have nothing left but the shape of Men. Upon these Occasions, such as design to get any thing from them by way of Gift, do pretend to be drunk with them; and when they see them hot-headed (for then they are very free-hearted ) they beg something they have a mind to of them, which is immediately granted and deliver'd, which he that receives takes and sends away; but in the Morning they are surpriz'd, for having forgot what they did, and not finding what they gave away, they grow sad, being concern'd at their Prodigality, but comfort themselves with the hopes of catching another the same way to make up their loss.
Cure of the Cossacks
Since we are entred upon the Subject of our Russians, or Cossacks, it will not be amiss to relate what more we know of them, and speak of their manner of Behaviour upon several other occasions. I have seen Cossacks sick of a Fever, who take no other Medicine but half a Bandaleer of Cannon-Powder, and dissolve it in half a pint of Aqua Vitæ; and having stir'd it well together, drink it off, and go to bed upon it, and rise in the Morning in perfect health. I had a Coachman whom I have seen do it several times, and who has often cur'd himself with this Drench, which the Physicians and Apothecaries would never think on. I have seen others take Ashes, and mix them with Aqua Vita, temper'd as above, which they have drank with success. I have often seen them wounded with Arrows, and being far from Surgeons, dress themselves with a little Earth, temper'd in their hand with their own Spittle, which heal'd them as well as the best Salve; which shews that Necessity exerts its ingenuity as well in this Country as any other.
This puts me in mind of a Cossack I once met upon the River Samar, who was boiling Fish in a wooden Bowl, which the Polanders and Cossacks carry behind them on the Saddle to give their Horses water: To do this he heated flat Stones in the Fire, and thew them into the Bowl; which he did till the Water boil'd, and the Fish was ready, an Invention which at first sight has but an indifferent aspect, and yet is ingenious enough.
I remember I once made mention of a Disease they call Goschest, to which they are subject, and whereof it will not be amiss to speak a few words.The
