Maitland Club > Works of Sir Thomas Urquhart

246 EK2KTBAAATPON.
for the height and grosseness of his person, being in his stature taller, and greater in
his compass of body, then any within six kingdomes about him, was elected King of
Bucharia, the inhabitants of that country being more inclined to tender their obedience
to a man of a burly pitch like him, whose magnitude being every way proportionable
in all its dimensions, and consisting rather in bones then flesh, was no load to the
minde, nor hindrance to the activity of his body, then to a lower sized man, because
they would shun equality, as near as they could, with him of whom they should make
choice to be their Soveraign ; they esteeming nothing more disgraceful, nor of greater
disparagement to the reputation of that State, then that their King should, through
disadvantage of stature, be looked down upon by any whose affaires, of concernment
perhaps for the weal of the crown, might occasion a mutual conference face to face.
He had ambassadors sent to him to receive the crown, scepter, sword, and all the
other royal cognizances belonging to the Supreme Majesty of that nation ; but I heard
him say, that the only reason why he refused their splendid offers, and would not un-
dergo the charge of that regal dignity, was because he had no stomack to be circum-
cised : however, this uncircumcised Game, agnamcd the Sclavonian, and upright Gen-
tile, for that he loves good fellowship, and is of a very gentile conversation, served as
a colonel, together with the forenamed five, and other unmentioned colonels of the
Scotish nation in that service, against the Crim Tartar, under the command of both his
and their compatriot, Sir Alexander Leslie, generalissimo of all the forces of the whole
empire of Russia ; which charge, the wars against the Tartarian beginning afresh, he
hath re-obtained, and is in the plenary enjoyment thereof, as I believe, at this same
instant time, and that with such approbation for fidelity and valour, that never any
hath been more faithful in the discharge of his duty, nor of a better conduct in the in-
finite dangers through which he hath past.
I shall only here by the way, before I proceed any further, make bold to desire the
reader to consider, seeing so short a space as thirty or four and thirty yeers time hath
produced so great a number of colonels, and others above that degree of the Scotish
nation, universally renowned for their valour and military atchievements in all the for-
raign and transmarine countries, states, and kingdoms of Christendome, what vast
number of lieutenant-colonels, majors, captaines, lieutenants, ensignes, &c. besides the
collateral officers of an army, such as adjutants, quartermasters, commissaries, scout-
masters, marshals, and so forth through all the other offices belonging to the milice of
a nation, either by sea or land, should be found of Scotishmen to have been since the
yeere one thousand and six hundred in the many several outlandish wars of Europe ;
which, I cannot think, if prejudicacy be laid aside, but that it will so dispose the
reader that he will acknowledge the Scotish nation to have been an honorable nation,
and that of late too, in their numerousness of able and gallant men totally devoted to
the shrine of Mars ; of which sort, as I have omitted many worthy and renowned co-
lonels abroad, so will I not insist upon the praise of two of our countrymen, Sir John