June. 1577. The offers of the king to our English merchants. Likewise on the tuesday by three of the clocke he sent for me into his garden, finding him layd upon a silke bed complayning of a sore leg: yet after long conference he walked into another Orchard, where as having a faire banketting-house and a great water, and a new gallie in it, he went aboord the gallie and tooke me with him, and passed the space of two or three houres, shewing the great experience he had in Gallies, wherein (as he said) he had exercised himselfe eighteene yeres in his youth. After supper he shewed me his horses and other commodities that he had about his house, and since that night I have not seene him, for that he hath kept in with his sore legge, but he hath sent to me daily. The 13 of June at sixe of the clocke at night I had againe audience of the king, and I continued with him till midnight, having debated as well for the Queenes commission as for the well dealing with her marchants for their traffike here in these parts, saying, he would do much more for the Queenes majesty and the Realme, offering that all English ships with her subjects may with good securitie enter into his ports and dominions as well in trade of marchandize, as for victuall & water, as also in time of warre with any her enemies to bring in prises and to make sales as occasion should serve, or else to depart againe with them at their pleasure. Likewise for all English ships that shall passe along his coast of Barbarie, & thorow the straites into the Levant seas, that he would graunt safe conduct that the said ships and marchants with their goods might passe into the Levant seas, and so to the Turks dominions, and the king of Argiers, as his owne, and that he would write to the Turke and to the king of Argier his letters for the well using of our ships and goods. Also that hereafter no Englishmen that by any meanes may be taken captives, shall be solde within any of his dominions: whereupon I declared that the Queenes majesty accepting of these his offers was pleased to confirme the intercourse & trade of our marchants within 1577. this his countrey, as also to pleasure him with such commodities as he should have need of, to furnish the A good necessities and wants of his countrey in trade of mar- proviso. chandize, so as he required nothing contrarie to her honour and law, and the breach of league with the Christian princes her neighbours. The same night I presented the king with the case of combes, and desired his majestie to have special regard that the ships might be laden backe againe, for that I found litle store of salt-peter in readinesse in John Bamptons hands. He answered me that I should have all the assistance therein that he could, but that in Sus he thought to have some store in his house there, as also that the Mountayners had made much in a readinesse: I requested that he would send downe, which he promised to doe. The eighteene day I was with him againe and so continued there till night, and he shewed me his house with pastime in ducking with water-Spaniels, and baiting buls with his English_dogges. At this time I mooved him againe for the sending downe to Sus, which he granted to doe, and the 24. day [II. ii. 67.] there departed Alcayde Mammie, with Lionell Edgerton, and Rowland Guy to Sus, and caried with them for our accompts and his company the kings letters to his brother Muly Hammet, and Alcayde Shauan, and the Viceroy. The 23. day the king sent me out of Marocco to his garden called Shersbonare, with his gard, and Alcayde Mamoute, and the 24. at night I came to the court to see a Morris dance, and a play of his Elchies. He promised me audience the next day being Tuesday, but he put it off till Thursday: and the Thursday at night I was sent for to the king after supper, and then he sent Alcayde Rodwan, and Alcayde Gowry to conferre with me, but after a little talke I desired to be brought to the King for my dispatch. And being brought to him, I preferred two bils of John Bamptons which he had made for provision of Salt-peter: also two bils for the 1577. The Emperor of Maroco his privileges to the English. quiet traffique of our English Marchants, and bils for sugars to be made by the Jewes, as well for the debts past, as hereafter, and for good order in the Ingenios. Also I mooved him againe for the Salt-peter, and other dispatches, which he referred to be agreed upon by the two Alcaydes. But the Friday being the 20. the Alcaydes could not intend it, and upon Saturday Alcayde Rodwan fell sicke, so on Sunday we made meanes to the King, and that afternoone I was sent for to conferre upon the bargaine with the Alcaydes and others, but did not agree. Upon Tuesday I wrote a letter to the King for my dispatch, and the same afternoone I was called againe to the Court, and referred all things to the King, accepting his offer of Salt-peter. That night againe the King had me into his Gallie, and the Spaniels did hunt the ducke. The Thursday I was appointed to way the 300. kintals grosse of Salt-peter, and that afternoone the Tabybe came unto mee to my lodging, shewing mee that the king was offended with John Bampton for divers causes. The Sunday night late being the 7. of July, I got the King to forgive all to John Bampton, and the King promised me to speake againe with me upon Munday. Upon Tuesday I wrote to him againe for my dispatch, and then hee sent Fray Lewes to mee, and said that he had order to write. Upon Wednesday I wrote againe, and he sent me word that upon Thursday I should come and be dispatched, so that I should depart upon Friday without faile, being the twelfth of July. So the friday after according to the kings order & appointment I went to the court, & whereas motion and petition was made for the confirmation of the demaunds which I had preferred, they were all granted, and likewise the privileges which were on the behalfe of our English marchants requested, were with great favour and readinesse yeelded unto. And whereas the Jewes there resident were to our men in certaine round summes indebted, the Emperors pleasure and commandement was, that they should without further excuse or delay, pay and discharge the same. And thus at length I was dismissed with great honour and speciall countenance, such as hath not ordinarily bene shewed to other Ambassadors of the Christians. And touching the private affaires intreated upon betwixt her Majestie and the Emperour, I had letters from him to satisfie her highnesse therein. So to conclude, having received the like honourable conduct from his Court, as I had for my part at my first landing, I embarked my selfe with my foresaid company, and arriving not long after in England, I repaired to her Majesties court, & ended my Ambassage to her highnesse good liking, with relation of my service performed. The voyage of Thomas Stukeley, wrongfully called Marques of Ireland, into Barbary 1578. Written by Johannes Thomas Freigius in Historia de cæde Sebastiani Regis Lusitaniæ. Enerant autem ad regem etiam sexcenti Totum exercitum divisit in quatuor İnter nobiles qui in hoc prælio ceciderunt, fuerunt, præter regem Sebastianum, dux de Avero, Episcopi Conimbricensis & Portuensis, Commissarius generalis à Papa missus Marchio Irlandiæ, Christophorus de Tavora, & plures alii. Cap. 13. 1578. 1578. Thomas Stukeley was The same in English. Here came also to Don Sebastian the King of Portugal 600. Italians, whom the Pope sent under the conduct of the Marques of Irland: who being arrived at Lisbone with three tall ships, proffered his service to the king, and promised to attend upon him in the warres, &c. He divided the whole Armie into 4. squadrons: upon the right wing stood the first squadron, consisting of men lightly armed or skirmishers and of the souldiers of Tangier, Generall of whom was Don Alvaro Perez de Tavara: the left or midle squadron consisted of Germanes and Italians, under the command of the Marques of Irland, &c. cap. 7. Of Noblemen were slaine in this battell (besides Don Sebastian the king) the duke de Avero, the two bishops of Coimbra & of Porto, the Marques of Irland sent by the Pope as his Commissary generall, Christopher de Tavara, and many others. cap. 13. T is further also to be remembred, that divers other English gentlemen were in this battell, whereof the most part were slaine; and among others M. Christopher Lyster was taken captive, and was there long detained in miserable servitude. Which gentleman although at length he happily escaped the cruel hands of the Moores; yet returning home into England, and for his manifold good parts being in the yeere 1586. employed by the honourable the Earle of Cumberland, in a voyage intended by the Streights of Magellan for the South sea, as Viceadmirall, (wherein he shewed singular resolution and courage) and appointed afterward in divers places of speciall command and credite, was last of all miserably drowned in a great and rich Spanish prize upon the coast of Cornwall. |