the Queenes most excellent Maiestie from the Lord Boris Pheodorouich Godonoua BY the grace of God great Lord and great Duke Theodore Iuanouich gouernour of Russia Volodimer Mosco and Nouogrod King of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsko and great Duke of Smolensco Otuer Vghori Perme Viatsky Bulgary and other regions Lord and great Duke of Nouogrod in the low countrey of Chernigo of Rezan Polotsko Rostoue Ieroslaue Bealozera and of Lifland of Vdorsky Obdorsky Condinsky and all the countrey of Sibery and commander of all the North parts and Lord ouer the countrey of Iuersky and King of Grusinsky and of the countrey of Kabardinsky Cherchasky and duke of Igorsky Lord and ruler of many countreys more c. Most resplendent Queene Elizabeth of England France and Ireland c. his princely Maiesties seruant Lord and Master of his horses and high Steward of his house and President of the territories of Cazan and Astracan Boris Pheodorouich Godonoua vnto your most excellent Maiesty great Ladie Queene Elizabeth send my humble commendations It hath pleased your Maiestie to write vnto me your gracious and princely letter by your seruant Thomas Lind which letter I receiued with all humblenesse During the time of the abode of your Messenger Thomas Lind here in the Mosco it pleased God of his mercifulnesse and our Lady the mother of God and holy Saints by the prayers of our lord and king his Maiestie Theodore Iuanouich ouer all Russia gouernour the right beleeuer and louer of Christ to send our Queene and gracious Lady Irene a yoong Princesse to the great ioy and comfort of our kingdome named Pheodocine Wherefore we giue all honour and glory to the almightie God vnspeakeable whose giftes had beene manifolde with mercie vnto vs for which all wee Christians laud and praise God After all this your seruant was occasioned to stay vntill the comming of your merchants from the sea port Touching the letters which you haue receiued from your louing brother our Lord and Master by your ambassadour therein you perceiue sufficiently my good meaning in trauailing for the continuance of amitie and friendship betwixt you mighty great princes in the which I will continue mine endeuour Also your merchants I haue taken into my protection for to defend them for the loue I beare to your Maiestie As heeretofore I haue done it willingly and with great care of their good so I meane to continue so farre as God will giue me leaue to the end that brotherly loue be holden betweene you Princes without disturbance As I haue beene to your merchants in times past so now by the permission and commandement of our Lord and Master I will be their defendour in all causes and will cause all our authorised people to fauour them and to defend them and to giue them free liberty to buy and sell at their pleasure The merchants doe not certifie your princely Maiestie of all our friendship and fauour shewed vnto them from time to time And whereas your Maiestie hath now written to our Lord and Master for the debts which your merchants ought to haue of William Turnebull lately disceased I hauing perused your Maiesties letter whereby I am requested to be a meane for the recouerie and obtaining of their sayd debts I haue moued it to our Lord and King his Maiestie that order may be giuen therein and that his kinseman Rainold Kitchin with three persons more may be sent ouer together with the sayd Turnebulles stuffe and other things as billes books and writings All which shall be deliuered to your merchants Agent and his fellowes and in money 600 rubbles of the sayd Turnebulles And touching your merchants I will haue a great care ouer them and protect them whereby they shall suffer no damages in their trade and all kinde of trafficke in merchandise shall be at their libertie Written in our Lord and Kings Maiestie royall citie of Mosco in the yeere from the beginning of the world 7101 in the moneth of Ianuarie A letter from the Lord Boris Pheodorowich to the right honourable Lord William Burghley Lord high Treasurer of England BY the grace of God great Lord King and great Duke Theodor Iuanouich gouernour of Russia Volodimer Mosco and Nouogrod King of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsco and great Duke of Smolensco Otuer Vghory Perme Viatsky Bulgary and other regions Lord and great Duke of all Nouogrod in the low countreys of Chernigo of Liffeland of Vdorsky Obdorsky Condinsky and all the countrey of Sibery and commaunder of all the North parts and Lord ouer the countrey of Iuersky and King of Grosinsky and of the countreys of Kabardinsky Cherchasky and Duke of Igorsky Lord and ruler of many Countreys more c. His princely Maiesties seruant Lord and Master of his horses and high Steward of his house President of the territories of Cazan and Astracan Boris Pheodorowich Godonoua to the most honourable Counseller of the most resplendent mightie great Lady Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland William Burghley Lord and Knight of the Garter high Treasurour of England sendeth greeting I perceiue by your letter that your merchants last shippes came home in sastie and that you haue receiued the letters sent by them by the hands of Francis Cherie one from our Lord and great King of all Russia his Maiesty vnto your Queenes most excellent Maiesty and one from me to her Highnesse and one from my selfe to you and the contents thereof you haue caused to be read and well vnderstood at large And whatsoeuer is therein written concerning Ierome Horsey you haue sought out the ground thereof and that he is in great displeasure And her Highnesse hath written in her letter concerning her Maiesties merchants that whereas I haue taken them into protection she taketh it very louingly and kindely that for her sake they haue receiued so great kindnesse And touching the damages and hinderances which your merchaunts haue sustained by meanes of the Emperours authorised people and officers and that they were not permitted to trafficke at libertie at the Sea port in the yeere 1589 for the space of three weekes it hath beene against the Emperours Maiesties will and pleasure as also against mine Where you desire and wish that betweene our Emperours Maiestie and your Queenes Maiestie their loue and amitie may not bee seperated at any time but to continue and you request mee that I should be good vnto the English merchants and to defend them from all such damages hereafter your honours louing letter I haue therein throughly considered and as I haue bene heretofore so I will still continue to be a meane betwixt our Lorde and kings Maiestie and your great Lady the Queene her highnesse for the mainteyning of brotherly loue and amitie most ioyfully and willingly as God knoweth aswel hereafter as I haue bene heretofore praying you to doe the like also Mine onely desire is for your most excellent Princesse sake to do all that lyeth in mâ—e
of the name of Christ Iesu and in the vertue of his pretious bloud which he shedde vpon the crosse for the saluation of mankinde they doe cast foorth deuils out of them that are possessed And because there are many possessed men in those parts they are bound and brought ten dayes iourney vnto the sayd friers who being dispossessed of the vncleane spirits do presently beleeue in Christ who deliuered them accounting him for their God and being baptised in his name and also deliuering immediatly vnto the friers all their idols and the idols of their cattell which are commonly made of felt or of womens haire then the sayd friers kindle a fire in a publike place whereunto the people resort that they may see the false gods of their neighbors burnt and cast the sayd idols thereinto howbeit at the first those idols came out of the fire againe Then the friers sprinkled the sayd fire with holy water casting the idols into it the second time and with that the deuils fled in the likenesse of blacke smoake and the idols still remained till they were consumed vnto ashes Afterward this noise out cry was heard in the ayre Beholde and see how I am expelled out of my habitation And by these meanes the friers doe baptise great multitudes who presently reuolt againe vnto their idols insomuch that the sayd friers must eft soones as it were vnder prop them and informe them anew There was another terrible thing which I saw there for passing by a certaine valley which is situate beside a pleasant riuer I saw many dead bodies and in the sayd valley also I heard diuers sweet sounds and harmonies of musike especially the noise of citherns whereat I was greatly amazed This valley conteineth in length seuen or eight miles at the least into the which whosoeuer entreth dieth presently and can by no meanes passe aliue thorow the middest thereof for which cause all the inhabitants thereabout decline vnto the one side Moreouer I was tempted to go in and to see what it was At length making my prayers and recommending my selfe to God in the name of Iesu I entred and saw such swarmes of dead bodies there as no man would beleeue vnlesse he were an eye witnesse thereof At the one side of the foresayd valley vpon a certaine stone I saw the visage of a man which beheld me with such a terrible aspect that I thought verily I should haue died in the same place But alwayes this sentence the word became flesh and dwelt amongst vs I ceased not to pronounce signing my selfe with the signe of the crosse and neerer then seuen or eight pases I durst not approch vnto the said head but I departed fled vnto another place in the sayd valley ascending vp into a little sandy mountaine where looking round about I saw nothing but the sayd citherns which me thought I heard miraculously sounding and playing by themselues without the helpe of musicians And being vpon the toppe of the mountaine I found siluer there like the scales of fishes in great abundance and I gathered some part thereof into my bosome to shew for a wonder but my conscience rebuking me I cast it vpon the earth reseruing no whit at all vnto my selfe and so by Gods grace I departed without danger And when the men of the countrey knew that I was returned out of the valley aliue they reuerenced me much saying that I was baptised and holy and that the foresayd bodies were men subiect vnto the deuils infernall who vsed to play vpon citherns to the end they might allure people to enter and so murther them Thus much concerning those things which I beheld most certainely with mine eyes I frier Odoricus haue heere written many strange things also I haue of purpose omitted because men will not beleeue them vnlesse they should see them Of the honour and reuerence done vnto the great Can. I Will report one thing more which I saw concerning the great Can. It is an vsuall custome in those parts that when the forsayd Can trauelleth thorow any countrey his subiects kindle fires before their doores casting spices thereinto to make a perfume that their lord passing by may smell the sweet and delectable odours thereof and much people come foorth to meet him And vpon a certaine time when he was comming towardes Cambaleth the fame of his approch being published a bishop of ours with certaine of our minorite friers and my selfe went two dayes iourney to meet him and being come nigh vnto him we put a crosse vpon wood I my selfe hauing a censer in my hand and began to sing with a loud voice Veni creator spiritus And as we were singing on this wise he caused vs to be called commanding vs to come vnto him notwithstanding as it is aboue mentioned that no man dare approch within a stones cast of his chariot vnlesse he be called but such onely as keepe his chariot And when we came neere vnto him he vailed his hat or bonet being of an inestimable price doing reuerence vnto the crosse And immediatly I put incense into the censer and our bishop taking the censer perfumed him and gaue him his benediction Moreouer they that come before the sayd Can do alwayes bring some oblation to present vnto him obseruing the ancient law Thou shalt not appeare in my presence with an empty hand And for that cause we carried apples with vs and offered them in a platter with reuerence vnto him and taking out two of them he did eat some part of one And then he signified vnto vs that we should go apart least the horses comming on might in ought offend vs. With that we departed from him and turned aside going vnto certaine of his barons which had bene conuerted to the faith by certaine friers of our order being at the same time in his army and we offered vnto them of the foresayd apples who receiued them at our hands with great ioy seeming vnto vs to be as glad as if we had giuen them some great gift All the premisses aboue written frier William de Solanga hath put downe in writing euen as the foresayd frier Odoricus vttered them by word of mouth in the yeere of our Lord 1330 in the moneth of May and in the place of S. Anthony of Padua Neither did he regard to write them in difficult Latine or in an eloquent stile but euen as Odoricus himselfe rehearsed them to the end that men might the more easily vnderstand the things reported I frier Odoricus of Friuli of a certaine territory called Portus Vahonis and of the order of the minorites do testifie and beare witnesse vnto the reuerend father Guidotus minister of the prouince of S. Anthony in the marquesate of Treuiso being by him required vpon mine obedience so to doe that all the premisses aboue written either I saw with mine owne eyes or heard the same reported by credible and substantiall persons The common report also of the countreyes where
right honorable William lord de Roos high treasurer of England both of them counsellers vnto the sayd soueraigne king on the one party and the right worshipfull Iohn Godeke and Henrie Moneke sent as messengers by the right reuerend and religious personage Frater Conradus de Iungingen Master generall of the Dutch knights of the Order of S. Mary on the other party it was at the request and instancie of the sayd messengers appoynted and mutually agreed vpon that all the liege people and subiects of the sayd soueraigne lord and king shall haue free licence and liberty vntill the feast of Easter next ensuing safely to trauel vnto the land of Prussia aforesayd there to remaine and thence with their ships marchandises other their goods whatsoeuer to returne vnto their owne home which on the other side all the subiects of the sayd Master general may within the terme prefixed likewise doe in the foresaid realme of England Prouided alwaies that after the time aboue limited neither the sayd marchants of the realme of England may in the land of Prussia nor the marchants of that land in the realme of England exercise any traffique at al vnles it be otherwise ordained by some composition betweene the foresaid king of England the said Master general in the meane time concluded In witnesse wherof one part of this present Indenture is to remaine in the custodie of the foresaid messengers Giuen in the Chapter-house of the Church of S. Paul at London the day and yere aboue written The letters of the chancelor and treasurer of England vnto Frater Conradus de Iungingen master generall of Prussia 1403. RIght reuerend and mighty lord your honorable messengers Iohn Godeke and Henry Moneke the bearers hereof comming of late before the presence of our most souereigne lord the king of England and of France and being welcomed by our said lord with a chearefull and fauourable countenance they presented certaine letters on your behalfe vnto the kings Maiestie with that reuerence which be seemed them expounding vnto his highnes sundry piracies molestations offered of late vpon the sea by his liege people subiects vnto yours contrary to the leagues of peace and amitie which hitherto by Gods grace haue bene maintained and continued on both parts In consideration of which piracies and molestations your messengers demanded full restitution and recompeâ—se to be made either vnto the damnified parties or vnto their procurators We therefore at that time especially being in the presence of our soueraigne who with his puissant army tooke his progresse towards the remote part of Wales being subiect vnto his dominion to see iustice executed vpon his people of those parts who very rashly haue presumed to rebell against him their souereigne contrary to their allegeance right well perceiued that it was his hignesse intention that euery one should haue due iustice faithfully administred vnto him especially your subiects and that with all fauour whom he hath alwayes in times past right graciously intreated as if they had bene his owne liege subiects and natiue countrey men whome also hee purposeth hereafter friendly to protect insomuch that betweene him and his subiects on the one party and betweene you and yours on the other party great abundance and perfection of mutuall amity may increase And therefore we offered vnto your foresayd messengers after they had particularly declared vnto vs such piracies and wrongs to sende the kings letters vnto them of whom complaint was made firmely inioyning them vnder grieuous penalties that without delay they restore or cause to bee restored vnto the parties damnified or vnto their procuratours all ships marchandises wares and goods by them taken or violently stolne from your subiects And that your said messengers may partly attaine their desire we haue commaunded certaine ships marchandises wares and goods found in certaine hauens to be deliuered vnto them Howbeit as touching other goods which are perhaps perished or wanting by infortunate dissipation or destruction and for the which the said messengers of yours demand satisfaction to be made vnto them within a certain time by vs limited may it please your honor to vnderstand that in the absence of our sayd souereigne lord the king being as yet farre distant from vs wee can in no wise limit or set downe any such terme of time Notwithstanding at the prosperous returne of our soueraigne we are determined to commune with him about this matter Of whose answere so soone as we be certified we purpose to signifie his intention vnto you by our letters Sithens also right reuerend and mighty lord your sayd messengers are contented for the present to accept of our offer aforesayde as indeede by all reason they ought thereat to rest content especially whereas by this meanes they shall the more speedily attaine vnto the effect of their purposes to the shorte and wished execution and performance of which offer we will by Gods helpe endeuour to the vtmost of our ability may it be your will and pleasure that as in the kingdome of England your marchants and subiects are courteously intreated euen so the marchants and liege people of our soueraigne lord the king and of his kingdomes peaceably frequenting your parts either in regard of traffique or of any other iust occasion may there in like manner friendly bee vsed and with your marchants and subiects suffered to communicate and to haue intercourse of traffique inioying the commodities of the ancient league By this also the feruent zeale and affection which you beare vnto the royall crowne of England shall vndoubtedly appeare albeit betweene the famous houses of England and of Prussia the bandes of vnfained loue and friendship haue bin successiuely confirmed and kept inuiolable in times past And thus right reuerend and mighty lord wishing vnto you increase of honour and prosperity wee take our leaues Written at London the fift of October in the yeare of our lord 1403 By the chancelor the treasurer and other lords of the hono counsell of the king of England and France being personally present at London The letters of king Henry the 4. vnto Conradus de Iungingen the master general of Prussia for mutual conuersation and intercourse of traffique to continue between the marchants of England and of Prussia for a certaine terme of time HEnry by the grace of God king of England France and lord of Ireland to the noble and mighty personage of sacred religion Frater Conradus de Iungingen Master generall of the Order of the Dutch knights of S. Marie c. our most deare and welbeloued friend greeting and continuall increase of our auncient and sincere amity By the grieuous complaynts of our liege subiects concerning traffique as it were circular wise too fro both our dominions we haue often bene aduertised that in regard of diuers iniuries and damages which as well our as your marchants who by their dealings in marchandise were woont peaceably to vse mutual conuersation together
see They should not passe our streemes withouten leue It would not be but if we should hem greue Of the commodities of the Genuoys and her great Caracks Chap. 6. THe Genuois comen in sundry wises Into this land with diuers marchandises In great Caracks arrayed withouten lacke With cloth of gold silke and pepper blacke They bring with them and of crood great plentee Woll Oyle Woad ashen by vessel in the see Cotton Rochalum and good gold of Genne And then be charged with wolle againe I wenne And wollen cloth of ours of colours all And they aduenture as ofte it doth befall Into Flanders with such things as they bye That is their chefe staple sekerly And if they would be ouâ— full enemies They should not passe our stremes with marchandise The comodities and nicetees of the Venetians and Florentines with their Gallees Chap. 7. THe great Galees of Venice and Florence Be well laden with things of complacence All spicery and of grossers ware With sweete wines all maner of chaffare Apes and Iapes and marmusets tayled Nifles and trifles that little haue auayled And things with which they fetely blere our eye With things not induring that we bye For much of this chaffare that is wastable Might be forborne for dere and deceiuable And that I wene as for infirmities In our England are such commodities Withouten helpe of any other lond Which by witte and practise both yfound That all humors might be voyded sure Which that we gleder with our English cure That we should haue no neede of Scamonie Turbit enforbe correct Diagredie Rubarbe Sene and yet they ben to needefull But I know things al so speedefull That growen here as those things sayd Let of this matter no man be dismayde But that a man may voyde infirmitie Without degrees â—et fro beyond the sea And yef they should except be any thing It were but sugre trust to my saying He that trusteth not to my saying and sentence Let him better search experience In this matter I will not ferther prease Who so not beleeueth let him leaue and cease Thus these galeys for this licking ware And eating ware bare hence our best chaffare Cloth woll and tinne which as I sayd before Out of this lond worst might be forbore Foreth other land of necessitie Haue great neede to buy some of them three And we receiue of hâ—m into this coste Ware and chaffare that lightly wil be loste And would Iesus that our Lord is wold Consider this well both yong and old Namely old that haue experience That might the yong exhorte to prudence What harme what hurt and what hinderance Is done to vs vnto our great grieuance Of such lands and of such nations As experte men know by probations By writings as discouered our counsailes And false colour alwaies the countertailes Of our enimies that doth vs hindering Unto our goods our Relme and to the king As wise men haue shewed well at eye And all this is couloured by marchandye ALso they bere the gold out of this land And sucke the thrift away out of our hand As the Waspe souketh honie fro the bee So minisheth our commoditee Now wol ye here how they in Cotteswold Were wont to borrow or they shold be sold Her woll good as for yere and yere Of cloth and tinne they did in like manere And in her galies ship this marchandie Then soone at Venice of them men woll it bye Then vtterne there the chaffare by the peise And lightly al 's there they make her reise And when the goods beene at Venice sold Then to carie her change they this money haue They will it profer their subtiltie to saue To English marchants to yeue it out by eschange To be payed againe they make not strange At the receiuing and sight of a letter Here in England seeming for the better by foure pence lesse in the noble round That is twelue pence in the golden pound And if wee wol haue of payment A full moneth than must him needes assent To eight pence losse that is shillings twaine In the English pound as eft soone againe For two moneths twelue pence must he pay In the English pound what is that to say But shillings three So that in pound fell For hurt and harme hard is with hem to dwell And when English marchants haue content This eschange in England of assent That these sayd Uenecians haue in woone And Florentines to bere her gold soone Ouer the see into Flanders againe And thus they liue in Flanders sooth to sauâ—e And in London with such cheuisance That men call vsury to our losse and hinderance Another example of deceite NOw lesten well how they made vs a valeys When they borrowed at the town of Caleis As they were wont their woll that was hem lent For yere and yere they should make payment And sometime al 's two yere and two yeare This was fayre loue but yet will ye heare How they to Bruges would her woll carie And for hem take payment withouten tarie And sell it fast for ready money in hand For fifty pounds of money of losse they wold not wond In a thousand pound and liue thereby Till the day of payment easily Come againe in exchange making Full like vsury as men make vndertaking Than whan this payment of a thousand pound Was well content they should haue chaffare sound If they wold fro the Staple full Receiue againe three thousand pound in woll In Coâ—teswold also they ride about And all England and buy withouten doubte What them list with freedome and franchise More then we English may gitten many wise But would God that without lenger delayes These galees were vnfraught in fortie dayes And in fortie dayes charged againe And that they might be put to certaine To goe to oste as we there with hem doe It were expedient that they did right soe As we doe there If the king would it Ah what worship wold fall to English wit What profite also to our marchandie Which wold of nede be cherished hertilie For I would witte why now our nauie fayleth When manie a foe vs at our doore assayleth Now in these dayes that if there come a nede What nauie should we haue it is to drede In Denmarke were full noble conquerours In time past full worthy warriours Which when they had their marchants destroyed To pouerty they fell thus were they noyed And so they stand at mischiefe at this day This learned I late well writon this no nay Therefore beware I can no better will Is grace it woll of other mennis perill For if marchants were cherished to her speede We were not likely to fayle in any neede If they be rich then in prosperitee Shal be our londe lords and commontee And in worship Now thinke I on the sonne Of marchandy Richard of Whitingdon That load sterre and chiefe chosen floure What hath by him our England of honour And
best shewe and with some warme Shube of furre vnder it in the winter time But in the sommer nothing but her two shirts for so they call them one ouer the other whether they be within doores or without On their heads they weare caps of some coloured stuffe many of veluet or of cloth of gold but for the most part kerchiefs Without earings of siluer or some other mettall and her crosse about her necke you shall see no Russe woman be she wife or maide The Lord Boris Pheodorowich his letter to the Right Honorable William Burghley Lord high Treasurer of England c. BY the grace of God the great Lord Emperor and great Duke Theodore Iuanowich great Lord King and great Duke of all Russia of Volodemer Mosco and Nouogorod king of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsko and great Duke of Smolensco Tuer Vghori Permi Viatsko Bolgorie and other places Lorde and great Duke of Nouogrod in the Lowe Countrey of Chernigo Rezan Polotsky Rostoue Yeroslaue Bealozera and Lâ—efland of Oudorski Obdorski Condinski and commander of all Sibierland and the North coasts great Lorde ouer the Countrey of Iuerski Grisinski Emperor of Kabardinski and of the Countrey Charchaski and the Countrey of Gorsky and Lord of many other regions From Boris Pheodorowich his Maiesties brother in law master of his horses gouernour of the territories of Cazan and Astracan to William Lord Burghley Lord high Treasurer to the most vertuous Ladie Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland and other dominions I receiued your Lordships letters wherein you write that you haue receiued very ioyfully my letters sent vnto you and aduisedly read them and imparted the same vnto her Maiestie and that your Merchants finde themselues agreeued that when they approch these parts and are arriued here they are not permitted to enter into a free and liberall course of barter traffike and exchange of their commodities as heretofore they haue done but are compelled before they can enter into any traffike to accept the Emperours waxe and other goods at high rates farre aboue their value to their great losse and that they are by reason of this restraint long holden vpon these coasts to the danger of wintering by the way Hereafter there shal be no cause of offence giuen to the Marchants of the Queenes Maiestie Queene Elizabeth they shall not be forced to any thing neither are there or shall be any demands made of custome or debts Such things as haue beene heretofore demaunded all such things haue beene already vpon their petition and supplication commaunded to be discharged I haue sollicited his Maiestie for them that they be not troubled hereafter for those matters and that a fauourable hand be caried ouer them And according to your request I will be a meane to the Emperour for them in all their occasions and will my selfe shew them my fauorable countenance And I pray you William Burghley to signifie to her Maiesties Merchants that I promise to haue a care of them and for the Queenes Maiestie of Englands sake I will take her Merchants into my protection and will defend them as the Emperours selected people vnder the Emperors commission and by mine appointment all his Maiesties officers and authorized people shall be carefull ouer them The Emperors gracious fauor towards them was neuer such as it is now And where you write that at the port the Emperors Officers sell their waxe by commission at a set rate giuen them farre aboue the value and that they enforce your Marchants to accept it they deny that they take any such course but say they barter their waxe for other wares and also put their waxe to sale for readie money to your Merchants according to the worth thereof and as the price goeth in the custome house here It hath beene heretofore deare and now is sold as good cheape as in any other place and as they can best agree they enforce no man to buy it but rather kepe it therefore your Marchants haue no iust cause to make any such report I haue expressely giuen order that there shall be no such course vsed to enforce them but to buy according to their owne willes and to tarrie at the port or to depart at their pleasure And as touching the customes alreadie past and debts demanded at your Merchants hands whereof you write Our Lord great Emperour and great Duke Theodore Iuanowich of all Russia of famous memory hath shewed his Maiesties especial fauour and loue for the great loue of his welbeloued sister Queene of England and by my petition and mediation whereas there was commandement giuen to take Marshes whole debt of your Merchants and factors it is moderated to the halfe and for the other halfe commandement giuen it should not be taken and the Merchants billes to be deliuered them And to the end hereafter that her Maiesties Marchants moue no contention betwixt our Lord the Emperor and great Duke of Russia and his welbeloued sister Queene Elizabeth his Maiestie desireth order to be giuen that your Marchants doe deale iustly in their traffike and plainely without fraud or guile And I will be a fauourer of them aboue all others vnder his Maiesties authoritie themselues shall see it Written in our great Lorde the Emperours citie of Mosco in the moneth of Iuly 7099. The Queenes Maiesties letter to Theodore Iuanouich Emperour of Russia 1591. ELizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England France and Ireland defender of the faith c. to the right high mighty and right noble prince Theodore Iuanouich great Lord King and great Duke of all Russia Volodemer Mosco Nouogrod King of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsko and great Duke of Smolensko Otuer Vghory Perme Viatski Bolgory and other places Lord and great Duke of Nouogrod in the low countrey of Chernigo Rezan Polotsky Rostoue Yeraslaue Bealozero and Lifland of Oudorsky Obdorsky Condinsky and commander of all Sibierland and the North coasts great Lord ouer the countrey of Iuersky Grisinsky Emperor of Kabardinsky and of the countrey of Charkasky and of the countrey of Gorsky and Lord of many other countreys our most deare and louing brother greeting Right noble and excellent prince we haue receiued your Maiesties letters brought ouer by our merchants in their returne of their last voyage from your port of S. Nicholas which letters we haue aduisedly read and considered and thereby perceiue that your Maiesty doth greatly mislike of our late imployment of Ierome Horsey into your dominions as our messenger with our Highnesse letters and also that your Maiesty doth thinke that we in our letters sent by the sayd messenger haue not obserued that due order or respect which apperteined to your princely maiesty in the forme of the same letter aswel touching the inlargement of your Maiesties stile and titles of honor which your Maiesty expected to haue bene therein more particularly expressed as also in the adding of our greatest seale or
for the ayding helping and protecting of her Maiesties merchants by the order and commaundement of our Lord and king his Maiestie And to that ende I haue giuen order to all our authorised people to bee carefull ouerthem and to defende them in all causes and to giue them free libertie to trafficke at their owne willes and pleasures It may bee that your merchants doe not certifie you the trueth of all things nor make knowen vnto your honour my readinesse to protect them And howe my Letters and Commissions are sent to all authorised people for them that they shoulde ayde and assist them according to the tenour of my Letters to all others that bee in authoritie vnder the said Officers or otherwise Also your honour writeth of the debarring of your merchants at the Sea port from their accustomed libertie of enterchangeable trafficke and bartar Touching which complaint search and inquisition hath bene made and commaundement giuen that your Queenes Maiesties merchants at the Seaside and in all places where the trade is doe not sustaine any domage or hinderance hereafter but that they shal be at libertie without any hindering or letting either in the Mosco the Treasurehouse or else where by any of our authorised people but absolutely to bee at free libertie at their owne will and pleasure And also I will continue to be their protectour and defendour in all causes by our Lorde and kings Maiesties order and commaundement as it shal be knowen and certified you by your people resident here in the Mosco Written in our Kings Maiesties royall citie of Mosco from the beginning of the world 7101â— yeere in the moneth of Ianuary A most gracious Letter giuen to the English Merchants Sir Iohn Hart and his company by Theodore Iuanowich the King Lord and great duke of all Russia the onely vpholder thereof THe onely God omnipotent before all eternitie his will be done without ende the Father Sonne and holy Ghost we glorifie in Trinitie Our onely God the maker of all things and worker of all in all euery where with plentifull increase for which cause he hath giuen life to man to loue him and to trust in him Our onely God which inspireth euery one of vs his holy children with his word to discerne good through our Lord Iesus Christ and the holy quickning spirit of life now in these perilous times establish vs to keepe the right sâ—epter and suffer vs to reigne of our selues to the good profit of the land and to the subduing of the people together with the enemies and to the mainteinance of vertue We the great Lord king and great duke Theodore Iuanouich of all Russia the onely vpholder of Volodimer Mosco and Nouogrod King of Casan and king of Astracan Lord of Vobsco and great duke of Smolensko of Otuer Vghorie Permia Viatski Bulgari and other regions great duke also of Nouogrod in the lowe Countrey of Chernigo of Rezan Polotski Rostoue Yaruslaue Bealozero and of Liefland of Vdorski Obdorski Condenski and commaunâ—er of all the Countrey of Siberi and of the North parts and Lord ouer the Countrey of Iuerski Grusinski and King ouer the Countrey of Igorski and ruler ouer many other kingdomes and Lordships more Our princely Maiestie at the request of our brother in lawe Boâ—is Feodorowich Godenoua our seruant and Master of our horses generall Comptroller of our house and gouernour of the Lordships and kingdomes of Casan and Astracan vnto the English merchants Sir Iohn Hart knight sir William Webbe knight Richard Salkenstow Alderman Nicholas Moseley alderman Robert Doue Wilâ— Garrowe Iohn Harbey Robert Chamberlaine Henry Anderson Iohn Woodworth FraÌ„cis Cherry Iohn Merrick Christopher Holmes hath graciously giuen leaue to come go with their ships into our kingdome territories of Duina with all kind of commodities at their pleasures to trafficke froÌ„ the seaside to our roial city of Mosco in al other cities townes countries and territories of our whole kingdom of Mosco vpon the humble petition and sute of the saide English merchants sir Iohn Hart and his company wee haue giuen them leaue to passe and trafficke into all parts of our dominions and territories of Mosco and to our inheritance of Nouogrod and Plesco with their wares and commodities without paying any custome or dueties We the great Lord king and great duke Theodore Iuanowich of all Russia haue firmely giuen and graunted vnto the aforesaide English merchants sir Iohn Hart and his company for the loue we beare to our deare sister Queene Elizabeth we I say of our gracious goodnes haue giuen leaue to trauel and passe to our royal seat of Mosco and to all the parts of our kingdome with all kinde of commodities and to trafficke with all kinde of wares at their owne pleasure without paying any custome of their said wares To you our Customers we wil and command not to take any maner of custome of the said merchants and their company neither for entering weying nor passing by or through any place of our territories nor for custome of iudgement by Lawe or for their person or persons nor any duties ouer bridges or for certificats or processes or for conducting ouer any streames or waters or for any other customes or dueties that may be named we wil and straitly commaund you not to take any of them in any wise Prouided alwayes that the saide merchants shall not colour any strangers wares nor bring them into our countrey nor fauour them colourably nor sel for any stranger To you our subiects also we coÌ„mand not to meddle or deale with any wares of strangers colourably nor to haue them by you in keeping nor to offer to sel their coÌ„modities but themselues to sel their owne coÌ„modities in change or otherwise as they may or can And in al townes cities countreys or any part of our dominions and territories it shal be lawful for the foresaid merchants and their company to sell or barter away their owne commodities in change or otherwise for or at their pleasure as they will And whensoeuer the said merchants or any of them come into our territories of great Nouogrod or Plesco or to any other parts of our kingdome with their wares by vertue of these our Maiesties letters we straitly charge and command you our Captaines generals and all other that be authorised or in office to suffer the aforesaid merchants to passe and repasse and to take no kinde of custome or dutie of them or any of their goods howsoeuer it may haue name nor in no place else where they shal come in all our kingdome Likewise if they sell not nor buy no wares you shall take no custome but suffer them quietly to passe where they will with their goods Of our gratious goodnes and meere goodwill we haue giuen the said merchants leaue to trafficke throughout all our kingdomes and in all townes and cities with all maner of wares and commodities without paying any custome or dutie Wheresoeuer they shal
of honour yea though they be suspected or conuicted of crimes and dishonestie or be protectours or vniust fauourers of such persons as are suspected and conuicted then what will be thy state oh Island What wil be thy outward shew or condition Doubtlesse most miserable Neither shalt thou by any other meanes more suddenly approch to thy ruine and destruction then if thou committest thy selfe to the gouernment of such men who to the vttermost of their power although they be of thine owne brood dayly seeke thine ouerthrow for their owne priuate aduantage and secret malice Wherefore to be short let these be to aduertise my deare Country how behouefull it is that the matters aforesaid be put in practise But whilest I am speaking these things vnto thee my Countrey oh that my deepe and dolefull sighes which lie hid in the former speach might pierce the eares of our Kings most excellent Maiestie before whom on thy behalfe I doe bewaile the publique miseries which in this respect especially doe arise because wee are so farre distant from the seate and royall presence of our King that many therefore take more libertie and promise more securitie of offending vnto themselues But we will commit all these matters to the most iust Iudge of heauen and earth who beholdeth all things in equitie Nowe it remaineth my beloued Countrey that thou wouldest take in good part these my labours employed in thy seruice and accept them with that fauourable and courteous minde which I haue expected And although they be not of such worth as I could wish yet sith a willing minde is worth all I would not therefore giue ouer because I mistrusted my selfe as one insufficient to contend for thine innocencie for thy reputation and thine honour my deare Countrey But rather whatsoeuer it be if it be ought and how mickle-soeuer which for my slender abilitie I was able to afford in thy defence I thought good not to suppresse it for I esteeme not those men worthy of commendation who despairing To ouergrow the limmes of Lyco stoute Neglect to cure their bodies of the goute And in very deed it doeth no whit repent me of my labour if this little treatise shall tend neither to thine nor to mine owne disgrace But if it shall any thing auaile to thine honour or defence I will thinke my trauaile right well bestowed Yea if by this my slender attempt I may but onely excite other of thy children and my natiue Countreymen being farre my superiours both in learning and industrie to take thy cause in hand either nowe or hereafter what reason is there why any man should say that it is not worth my labour Nowe if they addresse themselues to write howsoeuer my fame shal be obscured yet will I comfort my selfe with their excellencie who are like to impaire my credite for albeit a man ought to haue speciall regard of his name and fame yet is he to haue more of his Countrey whose dignitie being safe and sound we also must needes esteeme our selues to be in safetie Written at Holen Hialtedale in Island the yeere of our Lord 1592. the 17. of the Kalends of May. A letter written by the graue and learned Gudbrandus Thorlacius Bishop of Holen in Island concerning the ancient state of Island and Gronland c. Reuerendissimo viro eruditione virtute conspicuo D. Hugoni Branham Ecclesiae Hareuicensis in Anglia pastori vigilantissimo fratri symmystae obseruando MIrabar equidem vt conjicis reuerende domine pastor primo literarum tuarum intuitu ignotum me ab ignoto scriptis salutari Caeterùm cum vlterius progrederer comperime si non aliter certè nomine tenùs tibi quae tua est humanitas innotuisse Simulabque quòd te nominis Islandorum studiosum experirer exanimo gauisus sum Vndè etiam faciam vt tua pietas tuúmque nomen de Euangelio Iesu Christi nobis congratulantis déque gente nostra tà m benignè támque honorificè sentientis scribentis apud nos ignotum este desinat Quòd verò ad antiquitatis monimeÌ„ta attinet quae hic extare creduntur nihil sanè est preter illa quorum in Commentario isto de Islandia quem vidissete scribis fit mentio de hac nostra insula lectu scriptuuè dignum quod cum humanitate tua communicem De vicinis itidem terris pauca praeter historiam Regum Noruegiae seu veriùs eiusdem historiae fragmenta que alijs alitèr descripta sunt sunt tamen talia quae Krantzius non attigerit aut eorum certè pauca De vicina quoque Gronlandia id veterum opinione habemus eam magno circuitu ab extrema Noruegia vbi Biarmlandia nuncupatur à qua haud vasto interuallo sita sit circum quasi Islandiam exporrigi Illic nostrates aliquando commercia exercuisse eam terram tempore Pontificiorum suos Episcopos habuisse annales nostri testantur Cetera nobis incognita At hodiè sama est vestris Britannis quos ego propè maris dominos appellarim quotannis esse in Gronlandia negotiationes de qua re si me certiorem feceris non erit iniucundum Etiam velim quaecun que noua erunt de rebus vestratium aut vicinorum regnorum ea non omittas Vale foeliciter reuerende Dom. pastor Deo musis commisso gregi quà m diutissime superstes Amen Ex Islandia in festo visitationis D. Mariae Anno 1595 Human. tuae studiosus Gudbrandus Thorlacius Episcopus Holensis in Islandia The same in English To the reuerend learned and vertuous Master Hugh Branham minister of the Church of Harewich in England his brother and felow-pastour c. I Much marueiled euen as your selfe reuerend sir coniectured that I would at the first sight of your letters that being a stranger I should be saluted in writing by one altogether vnknowen vnto mee Howbeit reading a litle further I found my selfe if not otherwise yet by name at least which proceedeth of your courtesie knowen vnto you And also for that I sawe you desirous of the credite and honest report of vs Islanders I greatly reioyced Wherefore I my selfe will be a meane that your vertue and good name because you congratulâ—te with vs for the Gospel of Christ here published and doe thinke and write so louingly and honourably of our nation may cease hereafter to be vnknowen amongst vs. As touching the monuments of antiquitie which are here thought to be extant there is in very deede nothing except those particulars whereof mention is made in the Commentary of Island which you write vnto me that you haue seene worthy to be read or written which I may communicate with you And as concerning our neighbour Countreys we haue litle to shewe besides the history of the Kings of Norway or rather some fragments of the same history which others haue otherwise described howbeit they are all in a maner such things as Crantzius neuer mentioned vnlesse
till it where brought The patron as warie wise in the businesse of the sea thought in himselfe that the Turkes made such prolonging to some euil intent or to surprise his vessell being alone wherefore hee bade them giue him the letter speedily or els he would goe his way and neither tary for letter nor other thing and told them of the euill and dishonest deed that they had done the dayes afore to withhold the clarke vnder their words and fateconduct and therewith he turned his galliasse to haue gone away The Turkes seeing that gaue him the letter the which he tooke and when he was arriued at Rhodes he presented it to the lord great master which assembled the lordes of his counsell and made it to be red The tenor whereof was such as foloweth The copie of the letter that the great Turke sent to the lord great master and to the people of the Rhodes SVltan Solyman Basha by the grace of God right mightie emperor of Constantinople and of himselfe holding both the lands of Persia Arabia Syria Mecha and Ierusalem of Asia Europe AEgypt and of all the Sea lord and possessor To the reuerend father lord Philip great master of Rhodes to his counsailors and to all the other citizens great and small greeting Sending conuenient and worthy salutations to your reuerences wee giue you to weet that we haue receiued your letters sent vnto our imperiall maiestie by George your seruant the tenor whereof we doe well vnderstand and for this occasion we send vnto you this our present commaundement to the end that we will that ye know surely how by our sentence we will haue that Isle of Rhodes for many damages and euill deeds which we haue and heare from day to day of the sayd place done to vs and our subiects and ye with your good will shall hold it of vs doe vs obâ—â—sance and giue the citie to mine imperiall maiestie And we sweare by God that made heauen and earth and by 26000. of our prophets and by the 4. Misafâ— that fell from the skies and by our first prophet Mahomet that if ye doe vs homage and yeeld you wiâ—h good will vpon these othes all you that will abide in the sayd place great and small shall not need to feare perill nor damage of mine imperiall maiestie neither you your goods nor your men and who so will goe to any other place with his goods and haushold may so doe and who so will dwell and inhabite in any other places vnder mine Imperiall maiestie may râ—maine where they like best without feare of any person And if there bee any of the principals and woorthy men among you that is so disposed wee shall giue him wages and prouision greater then hee hath had And if any of you will abide in the sayd isle yee may so doe after your auncient vsages and customes and much better And therefore if that yee will accept these our othes and intreatings send vnto vs a man with your lâ—tters to mine Imperiall maiestie or els know yee that wee will come vpon you with all prouisions of warre and thereof shall come as it pleaseth God And this wee doe to the end that ye may know and that ye may not say but we haue giuen you warning And if ye doe not thus with your good will wee shall vault and vndermine your foundations in such maner that they shal be torne vpside downe and shall make you slaues and cause you to die by the grace of God as we haue done many and hereof haue ye no doubt Written in our court at Constantinople the first day of the moneth of Iune How the Turkes came to land in the Isle of Lango and were driuen to their ships againe by the Prior of S. Giles WHen the lord great master and his counsell had heard the tenor of the letter they would giue none answere to the great Turke but that he should be receiued with good strokes of artillerie So that to a foolish demaund behooued none answere And it was very like that he would haue nothing For sixe dayes after that was the 14. day of the said moneth of Iune the Brigantines that went toward Sio to know of the said armie came againe and sayd that of a trueth the said armie was comming and that nigh to Lango an Isle of the religion an 100. mile from Rhodes they had scene and told 30. sailes that were most part gallies and fustes the which vessels set men on land in y â— isle of Lango TheÌ„ the prior of S. Giles Missire pre Iohn de Bidoux commander of the sayd place taried not long from horsebacke with his knights and people of the isle and he met so well with the Turkes that he droue them to their ships and slew a certaine number of them and of the side of Pre Iohn some were hurt and his horse was slaine When the enemies were entered into their gallies they went to a place called castle Iudeo on the maine land betweene the sayd isle of Lango and the castle of S. Peter How part of the nauie and armie of the great Turke came before the citie of Rhodes THe 18. day of the said moneth of Iune these 30. gallies went from the sayd place and passed by the Cape of Crion entering the gulfe of Epimes beside Rhodes and were discouered from the shade of the hill of Salaco a castle in the isle of Rhodes On the morow they came out of the gulfe by plaine day and sailing along by the coasts they entered into a hauen on maine land called Maifata where they abode three dayes Then they went from thence and returâ—ed to the gulfe of Epimes where they abode two dayes and two nights The 24 day of the same moneth they issued out of Epimes and trauersing the chanell they came to the yle of Rhodes in a place before a castle called Faues and they went to land and they went to land and burnt a great field of corne the same day which was the feast of S. Iohn Baptist our patron The guard of a castle named Absito in the yle of Rhodes discouered and spâ—ed the great hosâ—e and in great haste brought word to the lord master and sayd that the sayd hoste that was in so great number of sailes that they might not be numbred was entred into the gulfe of Epimes The 30 sailes that lay in the yle arose in the night and went to the sayd hoste in the gulfe The 26 day of Iune the sayd great hoste arose and wâ—nt out of Epimes an houre after the sun rising trauersing the chanell they came to a place called the Fosse eight miles from the towne And the 30 first sailes turned backe toward the cape of S. Martin and other places to watch for ships of Christian men if any passed by to Rhodes The great hoste abode still till no one or one of the clocke and then arose not all but about 80 or 100
and sayd againe to the lordes of the Councell Aduise you and thinke well on euery thing and of the end that may happen and he proposed to them two points that is to wit Whether it is better for vs to die all or to saue the people and the holy reliques The which two points and doubts were long time disputed and there were diuers opinions neuerthelesse at the last they sayd all that howbeit that it were well and safely done to die for the faith and most honor for vs notwithstanding seeing and considering that there is no remedy to resist against our enemies and meanes to saue the towne and on the other part that the great Turke would not oppresse vs to forsake our faith but only would haue the towne it were much better then and tending to greater wealth to saue all the iewels aboue sayde that should be defiled and lost if they came in the handes of the enemies of the faith And also to keepe so much small people as women and children that they would torment and cut some in pieces other take and perforce cause them to forsake their faith with innumerable violences and shamefull sinnes that should be committed and done if the towne were put to the sword as was done at Modon and lately at Bellegrado Whereby they did conclude that it were better and more agreeable to God for to take the treaty if it were proffered then for to die as people desperate and without hope How the great Turke sent two of his men to the towne to haue it by intreating And how the lord great master sent two knights to him to know his assurance VPon these consultations and words almighty God that saueth them which trust in him and that would not that so many euils and cruelties should come to the poore city inhabitants of it and also that the great Turke might not arise in ouer great pride and vaine glory put him in minde to seeke to haue the sayd towne by treaty which he ought not to haue done for his honour nor by reason for the towne was in a maner his And in like sort he ought not to haue let vs goe as he did seeing that we were his mortall enemies euer and shall be still in the time comming considering the great slaughter of his people that we haue made in this siege Howbeit the eternall goodnesse hath blinded him and hath pleased that these things should be thus for some cause vnknowen of vs. And for conclusion the great Turke sent to haue a communication and parle in following the words of the Genouese aforesayd Then was a signe set vpon the churche of the abbey without the towne to the which was made answere with another at the miles of Quosquino And forthwith came two Turks to speake with them of the towne Then the lord great master sent the Priour of S. Giles pre Iohn and the captaine Gabriel Martiningo to know the cause of their comming And when they came to them without holding of long speech the two Turkes deliuered them a letter for to beare to the lord great master from the great Turke and then returned safely into their tents When the two lords had receiued it they bare presented it to the reuerend lord great master which caused it to be read By the which the great Turke demanded of the lord great master to yeeld the towne to him and in so doing he was content to let him go all his knights and all the other people of what cōdition soeuer they were with all their goods iewels safe without feare of any harme or displeasure of his folks And also he sware and promised on his faith so to do The sayd letter was sealed with his signet that he vseth that is as it were gilded And he sayde afterward that if the lord great master would not accept the sayde treaty that none of the city of what estate soeuer he were should thinke to escape but that they all vnto the cats should passe by the edge of the sword and that they should send him an answere forthwith either yea or nay After the sight of the contents of the sayd letter of so great weight and the time so short for to giue so great an answere and with demand the sayd lord great master and all the lords of the Councell were in great thought howbeit they determined to giue an answere seeing the estate of the towne so ill that it could be no woorse Hearing the report and opinions a day or two before of the two lords ordeined to view the defects of the towne saying that the towne was lost without remedy considering also that the principalles of the towne would haue appointment And in likewise at the other counsell all the lordes had already willed and declared that it were better to saue the towne for respect of the poore people then to put it all whole to the furie of the enemies whereupon they agreed and concluded to take the foresayd treatie After the conclusion taken answere was made readily for a good respect that is to weet to take the Turke at his worde to the ende that he should not repent him of it nor change his opinion For euery houre his people wanne and entered further and further into the towne And for to goe vnto the great Turke were ordained these two knights sir Passin afore named and he bare the token of the White crosse and another of the towne named Robert de Perruse◠iudge Ordinarie When these two ambassadours had made them readie they went out at the gate of Quosquino and went to the tent of Acmek basha capitaine generall And because it was late and that they might not goe that day to the great Turke on the next day in the morning the foresaid captaine Acmek led and conueied our sayd ambassadours to the great Turkes pauillion that they might haue the more knowledge plainely and for to heare his will as touching the wordes which were reported to the reuerend lord great master and after the contents of his letter and writings When the sayd two ambassadours were departed out of the towne there did enter two men of authoritie of the campe one was nephew or kinsman of the sayd Acmek the other was the great Turkes truchman which the lord master caused to be well receiued and they were lodged nigh the sayd gate of Quosquino And then truce was taken for 3. dayes and the enemies came to our repaires and spake with our folke and dranke one with another How the ambassadours of Rhodes spake with the great Turke and what answere they had WHen our ambassadours had made reuerence to the great Turke they sayd that the lord great master of Rhodes had sent them to his Imperiall maiestie to know what he requested and desired that they might talke together and how the great master had receiued his letter The great Turke answered them by his truchman that of demanding to speake
Moneth we ranne along Island and had the South part of it at eight of the clocke East from vs ten leagues The seuenth day of this moneth we had a very terrible storme by force whereof one of our men was blowen into the sea out of our waste but he caught hold of the foresaile sheate and there held till the Captaine pluckt him againe into the ship The 25. day of this moneth we had sight of the Island of Orkney which was then East from vs. The first day of October we had sight of the Sheld and so sailed about the coast and ankered at Yarmouth and the next day we came into Harwich The language of the people of Meta incognita Argoteyt a hand Cangnawe a nose Arered an eye Keiotot a tooth Mutchatet the head Chewat an eare Comagaye a legge Atoniagay a foote Callagay a paire of breeches Attegay a coate Polleueragay a knife Accaskay a shippe Coblone a thumbe Teckkeâ—e the foremost finger Ketteckle the middle finger Mekellacane the fourth finger Yacketrone the litle finger The second voyage of Master Martin Frobisher made to the West and Northwest Regions in the yeere 1577. with a description of the Countrey and people Written by Master Dionise Settle ON Whitsunday being the sixe and twentieth of May in the yeere of our Lord God 1577. Captaine Frobisher departed from Blacke Wall with one of the Queenes Maiesties ships called The Aide of nine score tunnes or therabouts and two other little Borkes likewise the one called The Gabriel whereof Master Fenton a Gentleman of my Lord of Warwikes was Captaine and the other The Michael whereof Master Yorke a Gentleman of my Lord Admirals was Captaine accompanied with seuen score Gentlemen souldiers and sailers well furnished with victuals and other prouision necessarie for one halfe yeere on this his second voyage for the further discouering of the passage to Cathay and other Countreys thereunto adiacent by West and Northwest nauigations which passage or way is supposed to bee on the North and Northwest pars of America and the said America to be an Island inuironed with the sea where through our Merchants may haue course and recourse with their merchandize from these our Northernmost parts of Europe to those Orientall coasts of Asia in much shorter time and with greater benefite then any others to their no little commoditie and profite that do or shall frequent the same Our said Captaine and General of this present voyage and company hauing the yeere before with two little pinnesses to his great danger and no small commendations giuen a worthy attempt towards the performance thereof is also prest when occasion shall be ministred to the benefite of his Prince and natiue Countrey to aduenture himselfe further therein As for this second voyage it seemeth sufficient that he hath better explored and searched the commodities of those people and Countreys which in his first voyage the yeere before he had found out Upon which considerations the day and yeere before expressed we departed from Blacke Wall to Harwich where making an accomplishment of things necessary the last of May we hoised vp sailes and with a merrie wind the 7. of Iune we arriued at the Islands called Orcades or vulgarly Orkney being in number 30. subiect and adiacent to Scotland where we made prouision of fresh water in the doing whereof our Generall licensed the Gentlemen and souldiers for their recreation to goe on shore At our landing the people fled from their poore cottages with shrikes and alarms to warne their neighbours of enemies but by gentle perswasions we reclamed them to their houses It seemeth they are often frighted with Pirats or some other enemies that mooue them to such sudden feare Their houses are very simply builded with Pibble stone without any chimneis the fire being made in the middest thereof The good man wife children and other of their family eate and sleepe on the one side of the house and the cattell on the other very beastly and rudely in respect of civilitie They are destitute of wood their fire is â—urffes and Cowshards They haue corne bigge and oates with which they pay their Kings rent to the maintenance of his house They take great quantitie of fish which they dry in the wind and Sunne They dresse their meat very filthily and eate it without salt Their apparell is after the rudest sort of Scotland Their money is all base Their Church and religion is reformed according to the Scots The fisher men of England can better declare the dispositions of those people then I wherefore I remit other their vsages to their râ—ports as yeâ—rely repaiâ—ers thither in their course to and from Island for fish We departed herehence the 8. of Iune and followed our course betweene West and Northwest vntill the 4. of Iuly all which time we had no night but that easily and without any impediment we had when we were so disposed the fruition of our bookes and other pleasures to passe away the time a thing of no small moment to such as wander in vnknowen seas and long nauigations especially when both the winds and raging surges do passe their common and wonted course This benefite endureth in those parts not 6. weekes while the sunne is neere the Tropike of Cancer but where the pole is raised to 70. or 80. degrees it continueth much longer All along these seas after we were sixe dayes sailing from Orkney we met floting in the sea great Firre trees which as we iudged were with the furie of great floods rooted vp and so driuen into the sea Island hath almost no other wood nor fuell but such as they take vp vpon their coastes It seemeth that these trees are driuen from some part of the New found land with the current that setteth from the West to the East The 4. of Iuly we came within the making of Frisland From this shoare 10â— or 12. leagues we met great Islands of yce of halfe a mile some more some lesse in compasse shewing aboue the sea 30. or 40. fathoms and as we supposed fast on ground where with our lead we could scarse sound the bottome for depth Here in place of odoriferous and fragrant sinels of sweete gums pleasant notes of musicall birdes which other Countreys in more temperate Zones do yeeld wee tasted the most boisterous Boreal blasts mixt with snow and haile in the moneths of Iune and Iuly nothing inferior to our vntemperate winter a sudden alteration and especially in a place or Parallele where the Pole is not eleuate aboue 61. degrees at which height other Countreys more to the North yea vnto 70. degrees shew themselues more temperate then this doth All along this coast yce lieth as a continuall bulwarke so defendeth the Countrey that those that would land there incur great danger Our Generall 3. dayes together attempted with the ship boate to haue gone on shoare which for that without great
the weaknesse of our company the small number of the same the carying away of our first appointed barke with those two especiall Masters with our principall prouisions in the same by the very hand of God as it seemed stretched out to take vs from thence considering also that his second offer though most honourable of his part yet of ours not to be taken insomuch as there was no possibility for her with any safety to be brought into the harbour seeing furthermore our hope for supply with Sir Richard Greenuill so vndoubtedly promised vs before Easter not yet come neither then likely to come this yeere considering the doings in England for Flanders and also for America that therefore I would resolue my selfe with my company to goe into England in that fleet and accordingly to make request to the Generall in all our names that he would be pleased to giue vs present passage with him Which request of ours by my selfe deliuered vnto him hee most readily assented vnto and so he sending immediatly his pinnesseâ— onto our Island for the fetching away of a few that there were left with our baggage the weather was so Boisterous the pinnesses so often on ground that the most of all we had with all our Cards Books and writings were by the Sailers cast ouerboord the greater number of the fleet being much agriâ—ued with their long and dangerous abode in that miserable road From whence the Generall in the name of the Almighty weying his ankers hauing bestowed vs among his fleet for the reliefe of whom hee had in that storme susteined more perill of wracke then in all his former most honourable actions against the Spanyards with praises vnto God for all set saile the nineteenth of Iune 1586 and arriued in Portsmouth the seuen and twentieth of Iuly the same yeere The third voyage made by a ship sent in the yeere 1586 to the reliefe of the Colony planted in Virginia at the sole charges of Sir Walter Ralegh IN the yeere of our Lord 1586 Sir Walter Ralegh at his owne charge prepared a ship of an hundred tunne fraighted with all maner of things in most plentifull maner for the supply and reliefe of his Colony then remaining in Virginia but before they set saile from England it was after Easter so that our Colony halfe despaired of the comming of any supply wherefore euery man prepared for himselfe determining resolutely to spend the residue of their life time in that countrey And for the better performance of this their determination they sowed planted and set such things as were necessary for their reliefe in so plentifull a maner as might haue sufficed them two yeeres without any further labour Thus trusting to their owne haruest they passed the Summer till the tenth of Iune at which time their corne which they had sowed was within one fortnight of reaping but then it happened that Sir Francis Drake in his prosperous returne from the sacking of Sant Domingo Cartagena and Saint Augustine determined in his way homeward to visit his countreymen the English Colony then remaining in Virginia So passing along the coasts of Florida he fell with the parts where our English Colony inhabited and hauing espied some of that company there be ankered and went aland where hee conferred with them of their state and welfare and how things had past with them They answered him that they liued all but hitherto in some scarsity and as yet could heare of no supply out of England therefore they requested him that hee would leaue with them some two or three ships that if in some reasonable time they heard not out of England they might then returne themselues Which hee agreed to Whilest some were then writing their letters to send into England and some others making reports of the accidents of their trauels ech to other some on land some on boord a great storme arose and droue the most of their fleet from their ankers to Sea in which ships at that instant were the chiefest of the English Colony the rest on land perceiuing this hasted to those three sailes which were appointed to be left there and for feare they should be left behinde they left all things confusedly as if they had bene chased from thence by a mighty army and no doubt so they were for the hand of God come vpon them for the cruelty and outrages committed by some of them against the natiue inhabitants of that countrey Immediatly after the departing of our English Colony out of this paradise of the world the ship abouementioned sent and set forth at the charges of Sir Walter Ralegh and his direction arriued at Hatorask who after some time spent in seeking our Colony vp in the countrey and not finding them returned with all the aforesayd prouision into England About foureteene or fifteene dayes after the departure of the aforesayd shippe Sir Richard Grinuile Generall of Virginia accompanied with three shippes well appointed for the same voyage arriued there who not finding the aforesayd shippe according to his expectation nor hearing any newes of our English Colony there seated and left by him anno 1585 himselfe trauelling vp into diuers places of the countrey as well â—o see if he could heare any newes of the Colony left there by him the yeere before vnder the charge of Master Lane his deputy as also to discouer some places of the countrey but after some time spent therein not hearing any newes of them and finding the places which they inhabited desolate yet vnwilling to loose the possession of the countrey which Englishmen had so loug held after good deliberation hee determined to leaue some men behinde to reteine possession of the countrey whereupon he landed fifteene men in the Isle of Roanoak furnished plentifully with all maner of prouision for two yeeres and so departed for England Not long after he fell with the Isles of Açores on some of which Islands he landed and spoiled the townes of all such things as were woorth cariage where also he tooke diuers Spanyards With these and many other exploits done by him in this voyage aswell outward as homeward he returned into England A briefe and true report of the new found land of Virginia of the commodities there found and to be raised aswell merchantable as others Written by Thomas Heriot seruant to Sir Walter Ralegh a member of the Colony and there imployed in discouering a full tweluemoneth Rafe Lane one of her Maiesties Esquiers and Gouernour of the Colony in Virginia aboue mentioned for the time there resident to the gentle Reader wisheth all happinesse in the Lord. ALbeit gentle Reader the credit of the râ—ports in this Treatise contained can little be furthered by the testimony of one as my selfe through affection iudged partiall though without desert neuerthelesse for somuch as I haue bene requested by some my particular friends who conceiue more rightly of me to deliuer freely my knowledge of the same not
small Island two leagues from the firme land and there they found a small Bay wherein they ankered at fiue fathome deepe close by the land and there they stayed till the twentie day Upon the which day there passed a Frigate close by the Island which with their pinnesse they followed and taking her brought her to the English ship which frigat was laden with Salsaperilla and Botijas or pots with butter and hony and with other things The English Captaine went on boord and cast the Salsaperilla on the land leauing all the rest of the wares in the frigate and then he put all his peeces into the frigate that so he might lay his ship on shore to new calke and trimme her which continued till the three and twentie or foure and twentie of March Which done and hauing made prouision of wood and fresh water they held on their course along by the coast sayling Westward taking the sayd frigate and her men with them and hauing sailed two dayes they tooke their men out of her and set them in the pinnesse among the which were foure sailers that meant to sayle to Panama and from thence to China whereof one they tooke with the letters and patents that hee had about him among the which were the letters of the king of Spaine sent to the gouernour of the Philippinas as also the sea-cards wherewith they should make their voyage and direct themselues in their course And so sailing vntill the sixt of Aprill about euening they discouered a shippe that held two leagues to seaward from the land and before the next day in the morning they were hard by her and suddenly fell vpon her while her men slept and presently made the men enter into their ship among the which was one Don Francisco Xarate Which done they followed on their course with the sayd ship out of the which they tooke certaine packes and other wares but I know not what it was They likewise tooke a Negro out of it and three dayes after they both let the ship and men goe whether they woulde setting therein the two saylers that should goe for China which they had taken in the frigate keeping onely one sailer to shewe them where they should find fresh water to the which ende they tooke the emptie vessels with them to fill with water and so kept on their course to the hauen of Guatulco where they put in being vpon Munday the thirteenth of Aprill and hauing ankered they stayed there till the sixe and twentie of Aprill and about three or foure houres within the night they set sayle holding their course Westward and an houre or two before they let Nuno da Silua goe putting him into another ship that lay in the hauen of Guatulco From thence forward the Englishmen passed on their voyage to the Islands of Malucos and from thence they passed by the Cape de Buena Esperança and so to England as it is well knowen so that this is onely the description of the voyage that they made while the said pilote Nuno da Silua was with them Hereafter followeth the copie of a letter written by sir Francis Drake being in the South sea of New Spaine in his ship called The Pellican or the golden Hinde with the ship of Sant Iohn de Anton which hee had taken to his companions in the other shâ—ppes that were of his company and by foule weather separated from him as I said before The contents whereof were these Master Winter if it pleaseth God that you should chance to meete with this ship of Sant Iohn de Anton I pray you vse him well according to my word and promise giuen vnto them and if you want any thing that is in this ship of Sant Iohn de Anton I pray you pay them double the value for it which I will satisfie againe and command your men not to doe her any hurt and what composition or agreement we haue made at my returne into England I will by Gods helpe perfourme although I am in doubt that this letter will neuer coâ—e to your hands notwithstanding I am the man I haue promised to be Beseeching God the Sauiour of all the world to haue vs in his keeping to whom onely I giue all honour praise and glory What I haue written is not only to you M. Winter but also to M. Thomas M. Charles M. Caube and M. Anthonie with all our other good friendes whom I commit to the tuition of him that with his blood redeemed vs and am in good hope that we shal be in no more trouble but that he will helpe vs in aduersitie desiring you for the Passion of Christ if you fall into any danger that you will not despaire of Gods mercy for hee will defend you and preserue you from all danger and bring vs to our desired hauen to whom bee all honour glory and praise for euer and euer Amen Your sorowfull Captaine whose heart is heauy for you Francis Drake The voyage of M. Iohn VVinter into the South sea by the Streight of Magellan in consort with M. Francis Drake begun in the yeere 1577. By which Streight also he returned safely into England the â—econd of Iune 1579. contrary to the false reports of the Spaniards which gaue out that the said passage was not repasseable Written by Edward Cliffe Mariner IN the yeere of our Lord 1577. the 19. of September there went out of the riuer of Thamis ouer the lands ende one good and newe ship called the Elizabeth of 80 tunnes in burthen in company whereof went also a small pinnesse being 12 tunnes in burthen called the Benedict The sayd ship with her pinnesse arriued at Plimmouth in which hauen were thâ—ee ships more one called the Pellican in burthen 120. tunnes being Admirall of the fleete a barke called the Marigold in burthen thirty tunnes with a flieboat of 50 tunnes These ships had in them 164 men and were victualled and farnished with all kind of necessary prouision to make a voyage into the South sea Wee set sayle the 15 of Nouember but were put into Falmouth by contrary winds and afterward were constrained to put backe againe to Plimmouth to repaire the great hurt which diuers of our fleete had sustained in that tempest and at length the 13 of December wee set forward from thence vpon our voyage The fiue and twentie of December we had sight of Cape Cantin this Cape lyeth in the latitude of 32. degrees and 30. minutes vpon the coast of Barbarie neere to a towne called Asaphi The land all along this coast is hie and great mountaines Sayling from the sayd Cape Southsouthwest about 18 leagues wee found a little Island called Mogador an English mile distant from the maine we sent our boat to sound the depth and at the returne thereof we vnderstood by our men that the hauen was without danger hauing fiue fathomes of water fast by the rocks entring in vpon the poynt of the
Astracan William Cecill Lord Burghley Knight of the noble Order of the Garter and Lord high Treasurer of England sendeth greeting RIght honourable my very good Lord vpon the last returne of our merchants shippes out of Russia there was brought vnto my handes by one Francis Cherrie an English merchant a letter directed to the Queenes Maiestie from the great and mightie Emperour of Russia and another letter from your Lordship directed to me which sayd letter written from the Emperor to her Maiesty hath beene considerately and aduisedly by her Highnesse read and perused and the matter of complaint against Ierome Horsey therein comprised thorowly examined which hath turned the same Horsey to some great displeasure I did also acquaâ—nt our Maiesty with the contents of your Lordships letters written to mee and enformed her of your Lordships honourable fauour shewed to her Highnesse merchants from time to time who tooke the same in most gracious part and confessed her selfe infinitly beholding vnto your Lordship for many honourable offices done for her sake the which she meant to acknowledge by her letters to be written to your Lordship vnder her princely hand and seale And forasmuch as it hath pleased your good Lordshippe to take into your handes the protection of her Maiesties merchants and the redresse of such iniuries as are or shall be offered vnto them contrary to the meaning of the priuiledges and the free liberty of the entercourse wherein in some points your Lordship hath already vsed a reformation as appeareth by your sayd letters yet the continuance of traffique moouing new occasions and other accidents tending to the losse of the sayd merchants whereof some particulars haue beene offered vnto me to treat with your Lordship vpon I thought it good to referre them to your honourable consideration that order might be taken in the same for that they are apparantly repugnant to the Emperours letters written to her Maiestie and doe much restraine the liberty of the trade one is that at the last comming of our merchants to the port of Saint Michael the Archangel where the mart is holden their goods were taken by the Emperours officers for his Highnesse seruice at such rates as the sayd officers were disposed to set vpon them so farre vnder their value that the merchants could not assent to accept of those prices which being denied the sayd officers restrained them of all further traffique for the space of three weekes by which meanes they were compelled to yeeld vnto their demaund how vnwillingly soeuer Another is that our sayd merchants are driuen to pay the Emperours officers custome for all such Russe money as they bring downe from the Mosco to the Sea side to employ there at the Mart within the Emperours owne land which seemeth strange vnto me considering the same money is brought from one place of the Countrey to another and there imployed without any transport ouer of the sayd money These interruptions and impositions seeme not to stand with the liberties of the Emperours priuileges and freedome of the entercourse which should be restrained neither to times or conditions but to be free and absolute whereof it may please your Lordship to be aduised and to continue your honourable course holden betweene the Emperour and her Maiesty to reconcile such differences as any occasion doth offer to their league or trafficke Thus not doubting of your Lordships furtherance herein I humbly take my leaue of your good Lordship From her Maiesties royall palace of Whitehall this 15 of Ianuary 1591. A Letter from the Emperour of Russia Theodore Iuanouich to the Queenes Maiestie THrough the tender merrie of our God whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited vs thereby to guide our feet into the way of peace Euen this our God by mercy we glorifie in Trinitie We the great Lord King and great Duke Theodore Iuanowich gouernour of all Russia of Volodimer Mosco and Nouogrod King of Cazan and Astracan Lord of Vobsco and great Duke of Smolensco Otuer Vghori Perme Viatsky Bulgary and other regions Lord and great Duke also of Nouogrod in the low countrey of Chernigo of Rezan Polotsko Rostoue Yeroslaue Bealozera and of Lifland of Vdorsky Obdorsky Condinsky and all the countrey of Siberia and commander of all the North parts and Lord ouer the countrey of Iuersky and King of Grusinsky and of the countrey of Kabardinsky Cherchasky and Duke of Igorsky Lord and ruler of many countreys more c. To our louing sister Elizabeth Queene of England France and Ireland c. Louing sister your letters sent by your seruant Thomas Lind we haue receiued and read what you haue written in the same touching our title and touching your order holden in your letters heretofore sent vs by your seruant Ierome Horsey wherein you haue answered vs sufficiently and most graciously And whereas your Maiestie hath written in your letter concerning the goods of William Turnebull late deceased in our kingdome that your subiects for whom he was factour should haue debts growing vnto them from him by account we at your Maiesties request haue caused not onely order to be taken but for your Highnesse sake louing sister we haue caused the goods to be sought out and deliuered to your merchants Agent and his company together with his stuffe bookes billes and writings as also money to the value of sixe hundred rubbles which Christopher Holmes and Francis Cherry are to pay for yâ—arie and we haue set at libertie the sayd Turnebulles kinseman Raynold Kitchin and his fellowes and deliuered them to your merchants Agent And further where you write vnto vs for such your subiects as haue departed out of your maiesties Realme secretly without licence that we should giue order to send them home concerning such your subiects for which you haue written vnto our Maiestie by letters we will cause search to be made and such as are willing to goe home into your kingdome we will command forthwith to be deliuered vnto your merchants Agent and so to passe And such of your Maiesties people as haue giuen themselues vnder our gouernment as subiects we thinke it not requisite to grant to let them passe And further where you haue written vnto vs concerning the goods of Iohn Chappell we haue written heretofore the whole discourse thereof not once but sundry times and therefore it is not needfull to write any more thereof And such goods as were found out of the goods of the sayd Chappell the money thereof was restored to your Maiesties people William Turnbull and his fellowes Your Maiesties seruant Thomas Lind we haue sent with our letters the same way whereby he came into our kingdome The long abiding heere of your Maiesties seruant in our kingdome was for the comming of your people from the Sea port Written in our princely court and royall seat in the city of Mosco in the yeere from the beginning of the world 7101 in the moneth of Ianuary To