PURCHAS HIS PILGRIMES
Strabo in his 7. booke of Geogr.
his Territorie after his owne Name. Of this partition it was called Russia, about the yeere from Christ 860. As for the conjecture which I finde in some Cosmographers, that the Russe Nation borrowed the name of the people called Roxellani, and were the very same Nation with them, it is without all good probabilitie, both in respect of the Etymologie of the word (which is very farre fetcht) and especially for the seate and dwelling of that people, which was betwixt the two Rivers of Tanais and Boristhenes, as Strabo reporteth, quite another way from the Countrey of Russia.
Gen. 10. Joseph. l.I. c. 14. [III.iii.414.]
When it bare the name of Sarmatia, it was divided into two chiefe parts: the White, and the Blacke. The White Sarmatia, was all that part that lyeth towards the North, and on the side of Liefland : as the Provinces now called Duyna, Vagha, Ustik, Vologada, Cargapolia, Novogradia, &c. whereof Novogrod velica was the Metropolite, or chiefe Citie. Blacke Sarmatia was all that Country that lyeth Southward, towards the Euxin or Black Sea: as the Dukedome of Volodemer, of Mosko, Rezan, &c. Some have thought that the name of Sarmatia was first taken from one Sarmates, whom Moses and Josephus call Asarmathes, Sonne to Joktan, and nephew to Heber, of the posteritie of Sem. But this seemeth to bee nothing but a conjecture taken out of the likenesse of the name Asarmathes. For the dwelling of all Joktans posteritie is described by Moses, to have beene betwixt Mescha or Masius, (an Hill of the Amonites) and Sephace, neare to the River Euphrates. Which maketh it very unlikely, that Asarmathes should plant any Colonies so farre off, in the North and North-west Countries. It is bounded Northward by the Lappes, and the North Ocean. On the South-side by the Tartars, called Chrims. Eastward they have the Naigaian Tartar, that possesseth all the Countrey on the East side of Volgha, towards the Caspian Sea. On the West and South-west border, lie Lituania, Livonia and Polonia.
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