Patrick Gordon

Patrick Gordon Poems

Patrick Gordon Biography

Patrick Leopold Gordon (March 31, 1635 – November 29, 1699) was general of the Imperial Russian army, of Scottish origin. He was descended from a Scottish family of Aberdeenshire, holders of the small estate of Auchleuchries, the family were connected with the house of Haddo. After completing his education at the parish schools of Cruden and Ellon, he entered, at age fifteen, the Jesuit college at Braunsberg, East Prussia (then belonging to Poland); however, his character did not tolerate well the strict and somber way of life at the school, and soon decided to return home. He changed his mind, however, before re-embarking on the journey back to Scotland, and after journeying on foot in several parts of what is today Germany, he ultimately enlisted at Hamburg in the military of Sweden in 1655. In the course of the next five years he served alternately for Poland and Sweden and was taken prisoner by both. In 1661, after further experience as a soldier of fortune, he took up service in the Russian army under Tsar Aleksei I, and in 1665 was sent on a special mission to England. After his return he distinguished himself in several wars against the Turk and Tatar ethnic groups in southern Russia. In recognition of his services he was made major-general in 1678, was appointed to the high command at Kiev in 1679, and in 1683 was made lieutenant-general. He visited England in 1686. In 1687 and 1689 he took part as quartermaster general in expeditions against the Tatars in the Crimea, being made full general for his services. On the breaking out of revolution in Moscow in 1689, Gordon with the troops under his command virtually decided events in favour of Tsar Peter I[citation needed], and against the Regent, tsarevna Sophia Alekseyevna. Consequently he was for the remainder of his life in high favour with the Tsar, who confided to him the command of his capital during his absence from Russia. The Tsar employed him in organizing his army according to the European system; and later raised him to the rank of general-in-chief. At the end of his life the Tsar, who had visited him frequently during his illness, was with him when he died, and with his own hands closed his eyes. He was not the only Scottish soldier in the Tsar's service; his compatriots Paul Menesius and Alexander Livingston also found themselves in Russia fleeing religious intolerance or seeking adventure. General Gordon left behind him a diary of his life, written in English. This was preserved in manuscript form in the archives of the Imperial Russian foreign office. A complete German translation, edited by Dr Moritz Posselt (Tagebuch des Generals Patrick Gordon) was published, the first volume at Moscow in 1849, the second at St Petersburg in 1851, and the third at St Petersburg in 1853; and Passages from the Diary of General Patrick Gordon of Auchleuchries (1635–1699), was printed, under the editorship of Joseph Robertson, for the Spalding Club, at Aberdeen, Scotland, 1859. A new version of his diaries in English were printed in 2009 in the UK. His daughter (died 1739) was married firstly to a German colonel Strasburgh, and then from 1699 or 1700 to his friend in Russian service General Alexander Gordon, author of "The History of Peter the Great, Emperor of Russia" book.)

The Best Poem Of Patrick Gordon

The Avthor To His Patrone

Your Lordshipe when I call to mynd,
And your great fauors, whiche I fynd,
I plaine, I sighe, my tears doun fall:
For this my strenth, my witt, my skill.
Not equaleizing my good will,
No not my lyfe, my self, my all.


My self, my seruice, both is due,
Both bonde by duety, vnto yow,
My wealthe to meane, for to present yow
A present then, I shame to mak it,
Nor with your honor stands, to tak it,
Thus nought is myne, that could content yow.


Oft thus I pause, I think, I muse,
And thous and vther things I chuse,
Wheirof their's no thing myne to geue.
Then geue I ouer my vane contentione,
And'st, yues in nought but apprehensione,
So rests your dettore while I leiue.


Zit to mak knowne that if I could
Faine would I do al that I should,
And oft alone on this I mus'de:
At last presents vnto my vew,
This Knight, beir, cold and pale of hew,
That seem'd no danger hade refus'de.


His armour rousted, rent, and torne
Clift was his sheeld, his sword was worne,
A stranger in this countrey strainge
Nor aduentures might heir be found,
The warr-lyk Knights heir, till the ground,
And rights their wrong, with lawes reuenge.


Altho this Knight was borne a Prince
Zit none wold do him reuerence,
Whiche I lamented muche, bevaild:
And of his sorowes took a pairt,
But lo his proud ambitious hairt,
Calamitye hade nere assaild.


This muche, his giddy braine surth bred
If he with armour once wer cled,
To searche aduenturs, hunt for fame:
Zit wovld he tary heir a whyle,
And pouse his fortune, throw this yle,
Perhaps to win a famous name.


I pitied much his poore estate,
His mightie mynd I could not hate,
No armour, no equippage fyne,
Hade I befaitting such a Knight,
Zit to my power, strenth, and might
I vsde my moyane, my ingyne.


When he was featted to my strength,
On Some he would depend at length,
Then come your honour to my mynd
Whoes many fauors, I haid founde,
Me Nature, lyfe, and duetie bounde,
My thankfulnes some way to find.


Him then to you I first present,
To serue, to please and to content
Beneth your wings let him be seine:
If he be not so rigged furthe
As apperteineth to his worthe,
Myne is the fault, whoes wealth was meine,


His name Penardo he me told,
A youth ambitious, hardy, bold,
His trauell, lyfe and deads hes beine,
A warre, betuixt ambitione strong,
And craftie loue, that lested long,
Which be the sequel shal be seine.

Patrick Gordon Comments