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First edition of this incisive, eyewitness account of the Russia of Tsar Alexei (1629-1676). Samuel Collins (1619-1670) worked as physician to Alexei, father of Peter the Great, between 1660 and 1667. Among contemporary authors of English accounts of Russia, "perhaps only Samuel Collins had a real grasp of Russian" ("English Views of Russia in the 17th Century", pp. 156-7). In Russia, Collins treated royalty, nobles, and courtiers, while writing papers on phlebotomy, obesity, and valerian. Among his contemporaries, this first-hand experience made him ideally placed to undertake a study of the country. For Matthew Anderson, his work was "perhaps the best account of the country published during the century" ("English Views of Russia in the Age of Peter the Great", p. 201). The Present State of Russia contains Collins's wide-ranging observations on Russian politics, religion, and society. Individual chapters focus on the tsar's monopoly of the trade in furs and caviar ("a great dainty, but will not keep"), the Russians' treatment of women ("very rigid and severe"), and descriptions of Moscow, the steppe, and Siberia ("'tis so excessive cold here"). His discussions of the Russian predilection for celebratory drinking are particularly entertaining: "Their greatest expression of joy upon festivals is drinking, and the greater the day is, the greater are their debauches … In the Carnival before Lent, they give themselves over to all manner of debauchery and luxury, and in the last week they drink as if they were never to drink more … Some of these going home drunk, if not attended with a sober companion, fall asleep upon the Snow (a sad cold bed) and there they are frozen to death". The seven plates depict Russian letters, hand gestures, and architecture. The work was published the year after Collins's death. READ MORE Small octavo (164 x 99 mm), pp. [22], 141, [3], [8]. Contemporary mottled sheep, professionally rebacked, spine ruled, decorated, and with red morocco label lettered in gilt, covers panelled in blind. Engraved portrait frontispiece depicting Tsar Alexis, and 6 engraved plates, woodcut headlines, errata leaf and 4 leaves of bookseller's advertisements at rear. Near-contemporary ink inscription "Dr Collins" on title page, short annotation to p. 55, and unobtrusive pencil annotations to contents. Light bumping and scuffing, minor browning and offsetting to contents, paper repair to lower outer corner of frontispiece, just crossing plate-mark: a very good copy. ESTC R17430; Wing C5385. M. S. Anderson, "English Views of Russia in the Age of Peter the Great", American Slavonic and East European Review, vol. 13, no. 2, 1954; M. S. Anderson, "English Views of Russia in the 17th Century", American Slavonic and East European.

The firsthand account of Russia during the reign of Tsar Alexei (1629-1676). While in Russia, Collins treated members of the royal family, nobility, and courtiers, and also wrote papers on topics such as phlebotomy, obesity, and valerian. His direct experience with Russian society uniquely positioned him to provide a detailed study of the country.