Page:Notes upon Russia (volume 1, 1851).djvu/159

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INTRODUCTION.
cxxxi

czar, much less that of emperor, although already under Vasiley Ivanovich it was the general custom to translate the title of czar into Latin by the word imperator. Herberstein also was accused at the Polish court, on his second return from Russia, with having in his address given to the grand-prince the title of king; but this he denied, declaring that he had used no other title than Magnus Dux. On his way from Smolensko to Wilna, he learnt from a Lithuanian providor the news of the battle of Mohacz, and the death of King Louis of Hungary, which news affected essentially the interests of Austria, and had a very important bearing upon the object of Herberstein’s embassy to Poland. He describes the journey from Wilna to Grodno as so intensely cold, that his nose was frozen. He only saved it by very quick and long rubbing with snow, which remedy was recommended him by his Polish guide; but some of his suite had their hands and feet frozen, and others fell sick under the cold, so as to detain the embassy.

He arrived at Cracow on the 12th of January 1527, where the king then was. His reception was very different to what it had been on the former occasion, for the king now had satisfactory reason to be convinced that the intentions of the emperor and the archduke were sincere and faithful, and expressed to both the ambassadors his satisfaction at the peace concluded in his favour. Here again Herberstein had an opportunity of showing his ability as a statesman and his fidelity to his sovereign; for having received the report of the death of the king of Hungary, and