would withholde from him all other gold within the earth I sawe some of those people being very deformed creatures In Tangut I saw lusly tall men but browne and smart in colour The Iugures are of a middle stature like vnto our French men Amongst the Iugures is the originall and roote of the Turkish and Comanian languages Next vnto Tebet are the people of Langa and Solanga whose messengers I saw in the Tartars court And they had brought more then ten great cartes with them euery one of which was drawen with sixe oxen They be little browne men like vnto Spaniards Also they haue iackets like vnto the vpper vestment of a deacon sauing that the sleeues are somewhat streighter And they haue miters vpon their heads like bishops But the fore part of their miter is not so hollow within as the hinder part neither is it sharpe pointed or cornered at the toppe but there hang downe certaine square flappes compacted of a kinde of strawe which is made rough and rugged with extreme heat and is so trimmed that it glittereth in the sunne beames like vnto a glasse or an helmet well burnished And about their temples they haue long bands of the foresayd matter fastened vnto their miters which houer in the wind as if two long hornes grewe out of their heads And when the winde tosseth them vp and downe too much they tie them ouer the midst of their miter from one temple to another and so they lie circle wise ouerthwart their heads Moreouer their principal messenger comming vnto the Tartars court had a table of elephants tooth about him of a cubite in length and a handfull in breadth being very smoothe And whensoeuer hee spake vnto the Emperor himselfe or vnto any other great personage hee alwayes beheld that table as if hee had found therein those things which hee spake neither did he cast his eyes to the right hand nor to the lefte nor vpon his face with whom he talked Yea going too and fro before his lord he looketh no where but only vpon his table Beyond theÌ„ as I vnderstand of a certainty there are other people called Muc hauing villages but no one particular man of them appropriating any cattell vnto himselfe Notwithstanding there are many flockes and droâ—es of cattell in their countrey no man appointed to keepe them But when any one of them standeth in neede of any beast hee ascendeth vp vnto an hill and there maketh a shout and all the cattell which are within hearing of the noyse come flocking about him and suffer themselues to be handled and taken as if they were tame And when any messenger or stranger commeth into their countrie they shut him vp into an house ministring there things necessary vnto him vntill his businesse he dispatched For if anie stranger should trauell through that countrie the cattell would flee away at the very sent of him and so would become wilde Beyond Muc is great Cathâ—ya the inhabitants whereof as I suppose were of olde time called Seres For from them are brought most excellent stuffes of silke And this people is called Seres of a certain towne in the same countrey I was crediblie informedâ— that in the said countrey there is one towne hauing walles of siluer and bulwarkes or towers of golde There be many prouinces in that land the greater part whereof are not as yet subdued vnto the Tartars And amongst * Somewhat is wanting Part of the great Charter granted by king Edward the first to the Barons of the Cinque portes in the sixt yeere of his reigne 1278. for their good seruices done vnto him by sea wherein is mention of their former ancient Charters from Edward the Confessor William the Conqueror William Rufus Henry the second king Richard the first king Iohn and Henry the third continued vnto them EDward by the grace of God king of England lord of Ireland duke of Gascoigne to all Archbishops Bishops Abbots Priors Earles Barons Iustices Shirifs Prouosts Officers to all Bayliffes and true subiects greeting You shall knowe that for the faithfull seruice that our Barons of the fiue Ports hitherto to our predecessors kings of England vnto vs lately in our armie of Wales haue done and for their good seruice to vs and our heires kings of England truly to be continued in time to come we haue granted by this our Charter confirmed for vs and our heires to the same our Barons and to their heires all their liberties and freedomes So that they shall be free from all toll and from all custome that is to say from all lastage tollage passage cariage riuage asponsage and from all wrecke and from all their sale carying and recarying through all our realme and dominion with socke and souke toll and theme And that they shall haue Infangthefe and that they shall be wreckefree lastagefree and louecopfree And that they shall haue Denne and Strande at great Yarmouth according as it is contayned in the ordinance by vs thereof made perpetually to bee obserued And also that they are free from all shires and hundreds so that if any person will plead against them they shall not aunswere nor pleade otherwise then they were wont to plead in the time of the lord king Henrie our great grandfather And that they shall haue their findeâ—â—es in the sea and in the land And that they be free of all their goods and of all their marchandises as our freemen And that they haue their honours in our court and their liberties throughout all the land wheresoeuer they shall come And that they shall be free for euer of all their lands which in the time of Lord Henrie the king our father they possessed that is to say in the 44. yere of his reign from all maner of summonces before our Iustices to any maner of pleadings iourneying in what shire soeuer their lands are So that they shall not be bound to come before the Iustices aforesaid except any of the same Barons doe implead any man or if any man be impleaded And that they shall not pleade in any other place except where they ought and where they were wont that is to say aâ— Shepeway And that they haue their liberties and freedomes from hencefoorth as they and their predecessors haue had them at any time better more fully and honourably in the time of the kings of England Edward William the first William the second Henrie the king our great grandfatherâ— and in the times of king Richard and king Iohn our grandfathers and lord king Henrie our father by their Charters as the same Charters which the same our Barons thereof haue and which we haue seene doe reasonably testifie And we forbid that no man vniustly trouble them nor their marchandise vpon our forfeyture of ten pounds So neuerthelesse that when the same Barons shall fayle in doing of Iustice or in receiuing of Iustice our Warden and the
vnto y e foresaid Matthew Ludekinson Item by Nicholas Scot of Caleis the sonne of Tutbury and Hilg of Hull 256. nobles which are due vnto the foresayd Arnold de Aschen Item by the inhabitants of Scardeburgh Blakeney and Crowmer who had one Iohn Iolly of Blakeney for their captaine 156. nobles which are due vnto Henrie Culeman aforesayd Item by the inhabitants of Bayon Whose Capitaine was one Pideuille 125. nobles which are due vnto the said Iohn Vnkeltop Item by the inhabitants of Plymmouth and Dertmouth whose Captaines were Henry Pay and William Gadeling 600. nobles which are due vnto the foresayde Iohn Halewater in respect of his goods by them violently taken away Item 334. nobles to be payed by the selfe same parties being due vnto the sayde Iohn Halewater by reason that they detained his ship from him three moneths and more which ship was of the burthen of three hundreth tonnes of wine and had in it all the foresayde time fiue and fourtie seruants maintained at the expenses of the sayde Iohn Halewater Item that Sir William de Ethingham knight who was Uice-admirall for the sea must bee summoned to alleage a reasonable cause for that the sayd Sir William with his seruants expelled the said Iohn Halewater out of his ship for the space of fifteene dayes together and tooke of the goods and victuals of the said Iohn to the summe of 114. nobles why he ought not to pay the said summe of 114. nobles vnto Iohn Halewater aforesaid which if hee shall not bee willing nor able to alleage before the first of April next ensuing that then by the kings authoritie hee must be compelled to pay vnto the foresaid Iohn the said 114 nobles Item by the inhabitants of Caleis whose captaines were Michael Scot Bishop and William Horneby 1900. nobles which are due vnto the foresayde Eggard Scoff because the saide soueraigne king hath giuen them in charge by the said Michael Scot and the rest concerning the payment of the summe aforesaid Item by Iohn Bilis neere vnto Crowmer 68. nobles which are due vnto Nicholas Wolmersten of Elbing Which summes of nobles must by the kings authoritie bee leuied at the hands of his subiects aboue-mentioned betweene the time that nowe is and the feast of the Purification of the blessed virgine which shall fall in the yeere of our Lord 1411. effectually to bee deliuered and payed vnto the sayd Master generall or his lawfull procurator or vnto his successours or their lawfull procuratours at the Citie of London vpon the feast aforesaid Item it is couenanted that besides the summes specified in the foresayde letters obligatorie made in the behalfe of the said soueraigne prince there are due to be paied vnto one Iohn Marion of Wersingham lately deceased being in his life-time the liege subiect of the foresaid soueraigne prince 200. nobles of English money in regard of certaine iniuries and robberies done and committed before the date of these presents against the foresayde Iohn by one Eghard Scoff subiect vnto the said Master generall for the full satisfaction of the saide damages and robberies to bee made vnto the said deceased Iohn his wife children heires or exceutors by the said Egghard his heâ—res or by the administrators of his goods at the time and place aboue-mentioned Item it is couenanted confirmed and promised that for all the iniuries and robberies done and committed against one Iohn Dordewant of Elbing being in his life time subiect vnto the sayd Master generall by the liege people and subiects of the said soueraigne king the inhabitants of Scardeburgh before the date of these presents for the full recompense of all such iniuries and robberies there must bee payed vnto one Iohn Gruk of Dantzik eight hundred nobles of English money vpon the feast of Easter next following in the Citie of London by them of Scardeburgh being guiltie and culpable in this behalfe who are by definitiue sentence condemned vnto the said Iohn in the summe of 800. nobles by reason of the iniuries and robberies aforesaid Except the lawfull expenses in this behalfe layed out they are also taxed in due time for the issue And therefore the foresayde condemned parties whose names are in the sentence against them pronounced in this behalfe more expresly contained must in the meane season by the kings authoritie be compelled and constrained really and actually to obey the foresaid sentence namely by deliuering and paying vnto Iohn Gruk the summe of 800. nobles at the time and place aboue mentioned with reasonable expences wherein also the said parties stand condemned their lawfull taxation being reserued Item it is couenanted and granted that the heires of Lord Henrie de Percy the yonger after they shall come vnto lawfull age and shall haue attained vnto the possessions and goods of their inheritance must be compelled by the kings authoritie iustice going before to make satisfaction vnto the great procurator of Marienburgh with the summe of 838. nobles in lieu of certaine corne and graine which the foresaid Lord Henrie in the yeere 1403 bought and receiued of the said great procuratour for the vse of the castle of Zutberwik In testimonie and confirmation of all the which premisses the said Tedericus Lefardus and Iohn Crolow of their certaine knowledges haue put tâ—eir seales vnto these present letters indented in the presence of the aboue-named Richard Merlow Iohn Kington and William Askam commissioners for the behalfe of England Giuen at the Citie of London in England the fourth day of December in the yeere of our Lord 1409. Carta Henrici quarti Anno quinto regni sui concesâ—a mercatoribus Angliae in partibus Prussiae Daciae Norwegiae Swethiae Germaniae de gubernatore inter ipsos ibidem constituendo HEnricus Dei gratia Rex Angliae Franciae Dominus Hiberniae omnibus ad quos praesentes literae peruenerint salutem Sâ—iatis quod cum vt accepimus ob defectum boni sani regiminis gubernationis diuersa damna dissensiones grauamina angustiae inter mercatores Regni nostri Angliae in partibus Pruciae Daciae Norwegiae Hansae Swethiae commorâ—ntes saepius ante haec tempora mota fuissent perpetrata ac maiora exinde quod absit futuris temporibus verisimiliter euenire formidantur nisi pro meliori gubernatione inter eosdem mercatores mutuò habenda manus nostras adiutrices apponamus Nos damnis periculis in hac parte imminentibus praecauere eosdem Mercatores alios de dicto regno nostro ad partes praedictas venturos iuste fideliter regi pertractari intime desiderantes volumus tenore praesentium concedimus eisdem mercatoribus quod ipsi quoties quando eis placuerit in quodam loco competenti honesto vbi sibi placuerit se congregare vnire certas personas sufficientes idoneas in gubernatores suos in eisdem pattibus inter se ad eorum libitum eligere obtinere valeant libere impune
not vnto vs but vnto our forenamed knight an answere in writing what your will and determination is Neither let it seeme strange vnto you that we haue not at this present sent our forenamed Iohn Kington clerke together with the sayd William for the cause of his abode with vs is that he may in the meane season employ his care and diligence about those matters which must be preparatiues for the finall conclusion of the foresayd busines Honorable sir and most deare friend we doe most heartily with increase of prosperity and ioy vnto your person Giuen in our palace of Westminster the 14. day of Feb. in the yeare of our Lord 1407. To the right noble and valiant knight Sir VVilliam Sturmy sent at this present by the most souereigne King of England c as his ambassadour vnto Dordract his most sincere friend HOnorable sir our most entier friend wee receiued the royall letters of the most mighty prince and lord our lord the king of England and France and lord of Ireland sent vnto vs vnder the date of the 14. day of February which we receiued at our castle of Marienburgh the 11. of April containing amongst other matters that his Maiesties purpose was once againe to sende one of his ambassadors namely your selfe our very sincere friend vnto Dordract giuing you in charge that you would make haste thither there slay vntill some of our subiects might at our commandemeÌ„t in conuenient time repaire vnto the same place there by Gods assistance to bring our matters vnto a happy conclusion And then he requested that wee should without delay write our determination vnto you as the conclusion of the said letter importeth Howbeit our most deare friend the treaties conferences about the redresse or reformation of vniust attempts committed by the subiects of our sayd lord the king our subiects one against another are both on our behalfe and on the behalfe of the common societie of the Hans marchants hitherto had made and continued common And so our commissioners vpon our full and absolute commandement shal for the managing of these and of other affaires of the foresaid societie many waies vrgent and difficult vpon the feast of our Lords Ascension next to come meet with the said societie at Lubec there to giue notice what they haue determined to conclude in this present busines in others for their owne behalfe For we wil giue our ambassadours which are there to appeare streightly in charge that according to the kings request aforesayde they doe without delay procure an answere to be written vnto your honour concerning the determination of the foresayd societie Giuen at the place and vpon the day aboue named in the yeare of our Lord 1407 Fr. Wernherus de Tettingen commander in Elbingâ— general vice-master and lieutenant in the roome of the Master generall of the Dutch knights of the Order of S. Marie c. of late deceased The letters of Henry the 4. king of England c vnto Vlricus de Iungingen Master generall of Prussia 1408. wherein he doth ratifie and accept the last agreement made at Hage in Holland HEnry c. vnto the honourable and religious personage Fr. Vlricus de Iungingen Master generall of the Dutch knights of S. Marie c. our most deare friend greeting and dayly increase of our accustomed amity and friendship We doe by these presents giue your houour to vnderstand that our faithfull welbeloued William Esturmy knight and Master Iohn Kington clerke our ambassadors and messengers sent of late on our behalfe vnto the presence of your predecessour for the redressing of certaine grieuances and damages being contrary to iustice offered against vs and our liege subiects by the people subiects of your predecessors against them also by our subiects as it is aforesayd in friendly maner to be procured of late returning out of the parts of Alemain made relation vnto vs and to our counsell that hauing conferred with your forenamed predecessour about the foresayd affayres the particulars following were at length concluded namely first of all that at a certaine day and place they should meete in Holland with his ambassadors and messengers to hold a friendly conference between them about the redressing and reformation of the grieuances and damages aforesayd and that they should by the equall waight of diligent examination ponder in the balance of iustice discusse define al singular the foresaid grieuances damages inflicted on both parts Howbeit at length after sundry prorogations then made continued on this behalfe our ambassadors messengers aforesaid vpon the 28. of August last past assembling themselues for our part at the towne of Hage in Holland the hon discreete personages Arnold Heket burgomaster of the towne of Dantzik Iohn Crolowe for the behalf of your subiects of Prussia and Tidman de Meule Iohn Epenscheid for the behalfe of Liuonia being assembled as messengers and commissioners about the redresse and reformation aforesayd did then and there demaund in certaine articles of our ambassadours and messengers abouenamed 25034. nobles half a noble for the grieuances damages offered as it was theÌ„â—aid to your subiects of Prussia and 24082. nobles 12 s.8.d in recompense of the damages offered vnto those your subiects of Liuonia And when the substance of those articles about the grieuances losses aforesayd was by the sayd ambassadours and messengers througâ—ly examined and discussed by their generall consent it was finally agreed that your subiects in consideration of all and singular the foresayd grieuances and damages offered vnto them by our people should within three yeares after the feast of Easter next ensuing at three equall payments receiue from vs namely they of Prussia 8957. nobles and they of Liuonia 22496. nobles sixe pence halfe peny farthing and no more so that we our selues thought good to condescend thereunto Howbeit forasmuch as certaine other articles of your subiects of Prussia and also certaine articles in the behalfe of our subiects containing grieuous complaints in them being propounded before the ambassadors messengers aforesaid for the attaining of reformation in regard of the damages grieuances offered on both parts could not as theÌ„ for the great obscurity of diuers of the sayd articles and also for want of sufficieÌ„t proofe at the last meeting appointed and held by the foresayd ambassadors at the towne of Hage in Holland sufficiently to be examined discussed and defined it was agreed vpon by the ambassadors and messengers of both partes that from the 15. day of October then last expired vnto the feast of Easter now next ensuing and from thenceforth within one whole yere immediatly following the plaintifes of both parts should throughly declare before our chancelour of England for the time being the foresayd obscurities coÌ„cerning the substance of their articles and that they should for the obtaining of execution and complement of iustice at our sayd chancelours hands peremptorily minister necessary
other shall haue accesse saile passe and come safely with libertie without any disturbance or other impediment that you giue leaue and cause leaue to be giuen that they may passe stay and returne and when they please depart in such sort that for our loue contentation the said worshipfull Iohn Keele with the ship and mariners haue no let hinderance or retention also that you giue all helpe and fauour a thing worthy of your iustice and to vs most acceptable to be recompenced with equall and greater seruice when vpon occasion it shal be required And finally we command all and whatsoeuer religious people and brothers of our religion of whatsoeuer condition degree and state they be and all other receiuers and procurators in all and whatsoeuer our priories deputed and to be deputed by vertue of the holy obedience and all our people and all that are subiect to the iurisdiction of our religion that in and by the same they hold and repute the said worshipfull Iohn Keele in the name as abouesaid the ship mariners and marchandize without let in the same their voyage or in any other place that they be not molested nor in any wise hindered but that in all their causes and businesse they be of you holpenâ— and furthered continually In witnesse whereof our seale of gouernment is impressed to these presents in blacke waxe Giuen at Malta in our Conuent the twelfth of the moneth of Iuly in the yeere 1582. The Queenes Commission vnder her great seale to her seruant master William Hareborne to be her maiesties Ambassadour or Agent in the partes of Turkie 1582. ELIZABETHA Dei optimi Maximi conditoris rectoris vnici clementia Angliae Franciae Hiberniae Regina verae fidei contra Idololatras falsò Christi nomen profitentes inuicta potentissima propugnatrix vniuersis singulis praesentes has literas visuris inspecturis salutem Cùm augustissimus inuictissimus princeps Zuldan Murad Can Turcici regni Dominator potentissimus imperiÃque Orientis Monarcha â—oedus amicitiámque nobiscum percusserit iurauerÃtque quam nos perpetuis futuris temporibus quantum in nobis erit inuiolatè seruare destinamus ad eámque magis ornâ—ndam illustrandámque concesserit idem augustissimus Imperator subditis nostris libâ—ram suas merces excercendi rationem in omnibus Musulmanici imperij sui partibus cum â—am ampla priuilegiorum concessione quà m alijs bonis principibus socijs foederatis nostris largitus est quorum priuilegiorum donationem nos gratam acceptámque habentes pari cum animi gratitudine colere certum habemus deliberatúmque nihil in votis habentes potiùs quà m bonorum erga nos principum animos beneuelos honoratissima mente fouere promererÃque Sciatis nos de singulari erga nos obsequiúmque nostrum fide obseruantia prudentia dexteriâ—ate multùm nobis chari Guilielmi Hareborne è custodibus corporis nostri vnius plurimùm confâ—dentes eum Oratorem Nuntium Procuratorem Agentem nostrum certum indubitatum ordinamus facimus conâ—tituimus per praesentes dantes ei concedentes potestatem authoritatem nomine nostro pro nobis praedictuÌ„ amicitiae foedus confirmandi priuilegiorum concessionem in manus suas capiendi ratámque habendi omnibus singulis subditis nostris Musulmanicis oris teâ—rÃsque negotiantibus pro Maiestatis nostrae authoritate praecipiendi mandandÃque vt sint in suis commercijs quamdiu quotiésque cum Mansulmanâ—câ—s versantur dictorum priuilegiorum praescripto obtemperantes in omnibus ac per omnia ad obsequia tanta amiâ—ltia digna se componentes aâ— in delinquentes in soedus nostrum iustitiam exequatur Potestatem authoritatem eâ— damus in omnes singulos subditos nostros in quibuscunque locis partibus Musulmanici Imperij dominationi subiectis negotiantes constituendi emporiorum suorum sedes in quibus voluerit portubus ciuitatibus in alijs vctandi in constitutis autem emporiorum sedibus consules curandi leges praeceptionésque ferendi condendÃque quarum ex praescripto dicti nostri subditi eorum quilibet sese publicè priuatim gerant eorum violatores corrigendi castigandÃque omnia denique singula faciendi perimplendÃque quae ad dictorum subditorum nostrorum honestam gubernationem commercij exercendi in illis partibus rationem pertinent promiâ—tentes bona fide in verbo Regio nos ratum gratum firmum habitutas quaecunque dictus Orator Agens noster à legibus nostris non abhorrentia in praemissis aut praemissorum aliquo fecerit In cuius rei testimonium has literas nostras fieri fecimus patentes sigilli nostri impressione iussimus muniri Datum è castro nostro Windesoriae 20. die Mensis Nouembris Anno Iesu Christi 1582. regni verò nostri vicesimo quarto The same in English ELizabeth by the clemencie of the most good and most great God the only creator and gouernour of all things Queene of England France and Ireland inuincible and most mightie defender of the true faith against all Idolaters falsly professing the name of Christ to all and singuler personsâ— to whose sight and view these our present letters may come greeting Whereas the most renowmed and most inuincible Prince Zuldan Murad Can the most mighty gouernour of the kingdom of Turkie and Monarch of the East Empire hath entered into league and friendship with vs which we for our part as much as lieth in vs doe purpose solemnly and inuiolablie to keepe in all times to come and whereas for the better countenancing and authorizing of the same the foresayd renowmed Emperour hath graunted vnto our subiects free libertie of traffique in all the partes of his sacred Empire with as ample and large a grant of priuileges as is giuen to other good Princes our neighbours and confederates the grant of which priuileges we taking very thankfully and acceptably are certainely and throughly determined to keepe and mainetaine with the like goodnesse and curtesie of minde desiring nothing more then with an honourable respect to nourish and deserue the beneuolent affections of good Princes toward vs Know ye that wee thinking well and hauing good confidence in the singular trustinesse obedience wisedome and disposition of our welbeloued seruaunt William Hareboâ—ne one of the Esquiers of our body towards vs and our seruice doe by these presents make ordaine and constitute him our true and vndoubted Orator Messenger Deputie and Agent Giuing and granting vnto him power and authoritie in our name and for vs to confirme the foresaid league of friendship to take into his hands and to ratifie the grant of the priuileges and to commaund and enioyne by the authoritie of our Maiestie all and singular our Subiects trading and dealing in any of the coastes and kingdomes of that Empire that as long as they remaine in traffique with his subiects they be obedient to the prescription and order of the foresayd priuileges applying
hazer Y con tanto nuestro Sennor os tenga en su guardia Hecha en nuestra corte real en Marruecos que Dios sostenga el 28. dias del mes de Remodan anno 996. In the Name of the mercifull and pitifull God The blessing of God light vpon our lord and prophet Mahumet and those that are obedient vnto him THe seruant of God both mightie in warre and mightily exalted by the grace of God Myra Momanyn the son of Myra Momanyn the Iariff the Hazeni whose kingdoms God maintaine and aduance his authoritie Unto the right fauous right noble right highly esteemed Erle of Leicester after due praises giuen vnto God due blessings and salutations rendred vnto the prophet Mahumet These are to giue you to vnderstand that your letters arriued here in our royal Court and we wel perceiue the contents thereof And your Ambassador which remaineth here in our Court told me the cause of the slownesse of the gages or pledges vntil this time which reckoning we accept of and holde our selues as satisfied And as touching the matter wherof you write vnto vs concerning Iohn Herman and the selfe same complaint which your Ambassador hath made of him before the comming of your letter we had already commaunded him to be taken vpon the complaint which your Ambassadour had made of him whereupon he stil remaineth in hold and shal so continue vntil further iustice be done vpon him according to his desert And so our Lord keepe you in his safegard Written at our royall court in Marocco which God maintaine the 20. day of the moneth Remodan Anno 996. The Queenes Maiesties letters to the Emperour of Marocco MVy alto y muy poderoso Sennor Auiendo entendido de parte de nuestro Agente la mucha aficion y volontad que nos teneys y quanta honra y fauor le hazeys por amor nuestro par a dar nos tanto mayor testimonio de vuestra amistad hemos recebido de lo vno y de lo otro muy grande contento y satisfacion y assy no podemos dexar de agradesceroslo como mereceys Vuestras cartas hemos tambien recibido y con ellas holgadonos infinitamente por venir de parte de vn Principe à quien tenemos tanta obligacion Nuestro Agente nos ba escripto sobre ciertas cosas que desseays ser os embiadas de aqui Y aâ—nque queriamos poder os en ello pontualmente coÌ„plazer como pidiâ— ha succedido que las guerras en que stamoral presente occupadas nonos lo consienten del todo Hemos però mandado que se os satisfaga en parte y conforme à lo que por agora la necessitad nos permite como mas particularmente os lo declararà nuestro Agente esperando que lo reciberreys en buena parte y coÌ„forme al animo con que os lo coÌ„cedemos Y porque nos ha sido referido que aueys prometido de proceder coÌ„tra vn Iuan Herman vassallo nuestro el qual nos ha grauemente offendido de la manera que or lo demandaremos auemos dado orden à nuestro dicho Agente de deâ—irosmas parcularmente lo que desseamos ser hecho a cerca deste negacio rogando os que lo mandeys assicomplir y que seays seruido de fauorescer siempre al dicho Agente y tener lo â—u buen credito como hasta agora aueys hecho sin permiter que nadie vs hagamando de parecer a cerca de las calumnias que le podrax lenantar ny dudar que no complamos muy por enâ—ero todo lo que de nuestra parte os prometiere Nuestro Sennor guarde vostra muy alta y muy podarosa persona Hecha en nuestra Corte Real de Grenewich a 20. de Iulio 1587. The same in English RIght high and mightie Prince Hauing vnderstood from our Agent the great affection and good wil which you beare vs and how great honour and fauor you shew him for our sake to the end to giue vs more ample testimonie of your friendship we haue receiued very great contentment satisfaction aswel of the one as of the other and withall we could not omit to magnifie you according to your desert We haue also receiued your letters and do not a litle reioyce thereof because they come from a prince vnto whom we are so much beholden Our Agent hath written vnto vs concerning certaine things which you desire to bee sent vnto you from hence And albeit we wish that we could particularly satisfie you as you desire yet it is fallen out that the warres wherin at this present we be busied wil not suffer vs fully to doe the same neuerthelesse wee haue commaunded to satisfie you in part and according as the present necessitie doeth permit vs as our Agent will declare vnto you more particularly hoping you will receiue it in good part and according to the good will wherewith wee graunt the same And because it hath bene signified vnto vs that you haue promised to proceed in iustice against one Iohn Herman our subiect which hath grieuously offended vs in such sort as wee haue sent â—ord vnto you wee haue giuen order to our said Agent to informe you more particularly in thaâ— which we desire to be done in this busines praying you also to command the same to be put in execution and that it would please you alwayes to fauour our said Agent and to hold him in good credite as you haue done hitherto not suffering your selfe to be changed in your opinion for all the false reports which they may raise against him nor to doubt that wee will not accomplish at large all that he shall promise you on our behalfe Our Lord keepe and preserue your right high and mightie person Written in our royall Court at Greenwich the 20. of Iuly 1587. A voyage to the Azores with two pinases the one called the Serpent and the other the Mary Sparke of Plimouth both of them belonging to Sir Walter Ralegh written by Iohn Euesham Gentleman wherein were taken the gouernour of the Isle of Sainct Michael and Pedro Sarmiento gouernour of the Straits of Magalanes in the yeere 1586. THe 10. of Iune 1586. we departed from Plimouth with two Pinases the oâ—e named the Serpent of the burden of 35. Tunnes and the other the Mary Sparke of Plimouth of the burthen of 50. Tuns both of them belonging to sir Walter Ralegh knight and directing our course towards the coast of Spaine from thence towards the Isles of the Azores we â—ooke a small barke laden with Sumacke and other commodities wherein was the gouernour of S. Michaels Island being a Portugal hauing other Portugals and Spaniards with him And from thence we sailed to the Island of Graciosa to the West ward of the Island of Tercera where we discried a saile and bearing with her wee found her to be a Spaniard But at the first not greatly
their Stantias or dairie houses and my master hauing leaue of the Secretarie for me to go with them I tooke my iourney with them being very well horsed and appointed and comming thither and passing the time there at Mecameca certaine dayes till we had perfect intelligence that the fleete was readie to depart I not being past 3 daies iourney from the port of S. Iohn de Vllua thought it to be the meetest time for me to make an escape and I was the bolder presuming vpon my Spanish tongue which I spake as naturally as any of them all thinking with my selfe that when I came to S. Iohn de Vllua I would get to be entertained as a souldiour and so go home into Spaine in the same Fleete and therefore secretly one euening late the moone shining faire I conueyed my selfe away and riding so for the space of two nights and two dayes sometimes in and sometimes out resting very little all that time vpon the second day at night I came to the towne of Vera Cruz distant from the port of S. Iohn de Vllua where the ships rode but only 5 leagues and here purposing to rest my selfe a day or two I was no sooner alighted but within the space of one halfe houre after I was by ill hap arrested and brought before Iustices there being taken and suspected to be a gentlemans sonne of Mexico that was runne away from his father who in trueth was the man they sought for So I being arrested and brought before the Iustices there was a great hurly burly about the matter euery man charging me that I was the sonne of such a man dwelling in Mexico which I flatly denied affirming that I knewe not the man yet would they not beleeue me but vrged stil vpon me that I was he that they sougâ—t for and so I was conueied away to prison And as I was thus going to prison to the further increase of my griefe it chanced that at that very instant there was a poore man in the presse that was come to towne to sell hennes who told the Iustices that they did me wrong and that in truth he knew very well that I was an Englishman and no Spaniard They then demanded of him how he knew that and threatned him that he said so for that he was my companion and sought to conuey me away from my father so that he also was threatned to be laid in prison with me he for the discharge of himselfe stood stifly in it that I was an Englishman one of captaine Hawkins men and that he had knowen me weare the S. Benito in the Blacke-friers at Mexico for 3 or 4 whole yeres together which when they heard they forsooke him and began to examine me a new whether that speech of his were true yea or no which when they perceiued that I could not denie and perceiuing that I was run from Mexico came thither of purpose to conuey my selfe away with the fleete I was presently committed to prison with a sorrowfull heart often wishing my selfe that that man whiâ—h knâ—w me had at that time bene further off howbeit he in sinceritie had compassion of my distressed estate thinking by his speech and knowing of me to haue set me free frâ—m that present danger which he saw me in howbeit contrary to his expectation I was thereby brought into my extreme danger and to the hazard of my life yet there was no remedy but patience perforce And I was no sooner brought into prison but I had a great paire of bolts clapt on my legs and thus I remained in that prison for the space of 3 weekes where were also many other prisoners which were thither committed for sâ—â—ory crimes condemned to the gallies During which time of imprisonment there I found amongst those my prison-fellowes some that had knowen me before in Mexico and truely they had compassion of me would spare of their victuals and any thing eâ—s that they had to doe me good amongst whom there was one of them that tâ—ld me that he vnderâ—tood by a secret friend of his which often came to the prison to him that I shold be shortly sent backe againe to Mexico by wagon so soone as the fleete was gone from S. Iohn de Vllua for Spaine This poore man my prison-fellâ—w of himselfe without any request made by me caused his said friend which came often vnto him to the grate of the prison to bring him wine and victuals to buy for him 2 kniues which had files in their backes which files were so wel made that they would serue suffâ—ce any prisoner to file off his irons of those kniues or files he brought one to me told me that he had caused it to be made for me and let me haue it at that very price it cost him which was 2 Pezos the value of 8. s. of our monâ—y which knife when I had it I was a ioyfull man and conueiâ—d the same into the foote of my boot vpon the inside of my left leg and so within 3 or 4 dayes after that I had thus receiued my knife I was suddenly called for brought before the head Iustice which caused those my irons with the round bolt to be stricken off and sent to a Smiths in the towne where was a new paire of bolts made ready for me of another fashion which had a broad iron barre comming betweene the shackles and caused my hands to be made fast with a paire of manacles and so was I presently laid into a wagon all alone which was there readie to depart with sundry other wagons to the number of 60 towardes Mexico and they all were laden with sundry merchandise which came in the fleete out of Spaine The wagon that I was in was foremost in all the companie and as we trauelled I being alone in the wagon began to trie if I could plucke my hands out of the manacles and as God would although it were somewhat painefull for me yet my handes were so slender that I could pull them out and put them in againe and euer as we went when the wagon made most noyse and the men were busiest I would be working to file off my bolts trauelling thus for the space of 8 leagues from Vera Cruz we came to an high hill at the entring vp of which as God would one of the wheeles of the wagon wherein I was brake so that by that meanes the other wagons went afore and the wagon-man that had charge of me set an Indian Carpenter a worke to mend the wheele and here at this place they baited at an hostrie that a Negro-woman keepes and at this place for that the going vp of the hill is very steepe for the space of two leagues and better they doe alwaies accustome to take the mostes of 3 or 4 wagons and to place them all togâ—ther for the drawing vp of one wagon and so to come downe againe and fetch vp