terrupted in this their said trade, we do by these presents for us, our heires and successours, straightly prohibite and forbid all maner of person or persons, as well strangers of what nation or countrey soever, as our owne Subjects, other then onely the said Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. and every of them as aforesaid, that they nor any of them from hencefoorth during the said terme of 12. yeeres, do or shall bring, or cause to be brought into this our Realme of England, or to any the dominions thereof, any maner of marchandizes whatsoever growing, or being made within the said Countrey of Barbary, or within any the dominions thereof, unlesse it be by and with the licence, consent and agreement of the said Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. or with the consent and licence of the more part of them then living, first had and obtained, so alwayes y' the sayd Erle of Leicester (if hee be living) be one, under the paine that every one that shall offend or doe against this our present prohibition here last above mentioned in these presents, shall forfeite and lose all and singular the said marchandizes to be landed in any our realmes and dominions, contrary to the tenor and true meaning of this our prohibition in that behalfe provided: the one moitie of all and every which said forfaitures whatsoever mentioned or specified in these our present Letters patents, shalbe to us our heires & successors: And the other moity of al and every the said forfaitures, we doe by these presents of our certaine knowledge and meere motion, clearely and wholy for us, our heires and successors, give and graunt unto the said Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. And these our Letters patents, upon the onely sight thereof, without any further warrant, shal bee sufficient authoritie to our Treasurer of England for the time being, to our Barons of the Exchequer, and to all other our officers that shall have to deale in this behalfe, to make full allowance unto the said Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. their deputies or assignes of the one moitie of all and singular the goods, marchandizes and things 1585. 1585. whatsoever mentioned in these our present Letters patents, to be forfaited at any time or times during the said terme of twelve yeres: which said allowance we doe straightly charge and commaund from time to time to be made to the sayd Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. and to every of them accordingly, without any maner of delay or deniall of any of our officers whatsoever, as they tender our favour and the furtherance of our good pleasure. And wee doe straightly charge and commaund, and by these presents prohibite all and singular Customers and Collectors of our customes & subsidies, and comptrollers of the same, of, and within our Citie and port of London, and all other portes, creekes, & places within this our Realme of England, and every of them, that they ne any of them take or perceive, or cause, or suffer to be taken, received, or perceived for us & in our name, or to our use, or to ye uses of our heires or successors of any person or persons, any sum or summes of money, or other things whatsoever during the said terme of 12. yeres, for, and in the name & liew or place of any custome, subsidy & other thing or duties to us, our heires or successors due or to be due for the customes & subsidies of any marchandizes whatsoever growing, being made or comming out of the said countrey of Barbary, or out of the dominions thereof, nor make, cause, nor suffer to be made any entrie into our or their books of customs & subsidies, nor make any agreement for the subsidies and customs, of, and for any the said marchants, saving onely with, & in the name of the said Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. or the most part of them, as they and every of them will answere at their uttermost perils to the contrary. And for the better and more sure observation of this our graunt, wee will, and grant for us our heires & successors by these presents, that the Treasurer & barons of our Exchequer for the time being, by force of this our graunt or enrolment thereof in the said court, at al & every time & times during the said terme of 12. 1585. yeres, at & upon request made unto them by the said Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. or by the atturneis, factors, deputies or assignes of them, or the most part of them then living and trading, shall and may make & direct under the seale of the said Exchequer, one or moe sufficient writ or writs, close or patents, unto every or any of our said customers, collectors or controllers of our heires and successors in all and every, or to any port or ports, creeke, haven, or other places within this our realme of England, as the said Erles, Thomas [II. ii. 117.] Starkie, &c. or any the atturneis, factors, deputies or assignes of them or the most part of them then living and trading, shall at any time require, commaunding and straightly charging them and every of them, that they nor any of them at any time or times during the said terme of 12. yeeres, make any entrie of any wares or marchandizes whatsoever, growing, being made or comming out or from the said countrey of Barbary, or the dominions thereof, nor receive or take any custome, subsidie or other entrie, or make any agreement for the same, other then with or in the name of the said Erles, Thomas Starkie, &c. the factor or factors, deputies or assignes of them or the most part of them then living and trading, according to this our graunt, and the true meaning thereof, and according to our saide will and pleasure before in these presents declared. In witnesse whereof we have caused these our Letters to be made patents. Witnesse our selfe at Westminster the 5. day of July in the 27. yeere of our reigne. [The Ambassage 1585-89. The Ambassage of Master Henry Roberts, one of the sworne Esquires of her Majesties person, from her highnesse to Mully Hamet Emperour of Marocco and the King of Fesse, and Sus, in the yeere 1585: who remained there as Liger for the space of 3. yeeres. Written briefly by himselfe. Pon an incorporation granted to the Company of Barbary Marchants resident in London, I Henry Roberts one of her Majesties sworne Esquires of her person, was appointed her highnesse messenger, and Agent unto the aforesaid Mully Hamet Emperor of Marocco, king of Fesse, and Sus. And after I had received my Commission, instructions, and her Majesties letters, I departed from London the 14. of August in the yeere 1585. in a tall ship called the Ascension, in the company of the Minion and Hopewell, and we all arrived in safetie at Azafi a port of Barbary, the 14. of September next following. The Alcaide of the towne (being the kings officer there, and as it were Maior of the place) received mee with all humanitie and honour, according to the custome of the Countrey, lodging me in the chiefest house of the towne, from whence I dispatched a messenger (which in their language they call a Trottero) to advertise the Emperour of my arrivall: who immediatly gave order, and sent certaine souldiers for my guard and conduct, and horses for my selfe, and mules for mine owne and my companies carriages. Thus being accompanied with M. Richard Evans, Edward Salcot, and other English Marchants resident there in the Countrey, with my traine of Moores and carriages, I came at length to the river of Tensist, which is within foure miles of Marocco: and there by the water side I pitched my tents under the Olive trees: where I met with all the English Marchants by themselves, and the French and Flemish, and divers other Christians, which attended my comming. And after we had dined, & spent out the heat of the day, about foure of the clocke in the afternoone we all set forward toward the Citie of Marocco, where we arrived the said day, being the 14. of September, and I was lodged by the Emperours appointment in a faire house in the Judaria or Jurie, which is the place where the Jewes have their abode, and is the fairest place, and quietest lodging in all the Citie. After I had reposed my selfe 3. dayes, I had accesse to the kings presence, delivered my message and her Majesties letters, and was received with all humanitie, and had favourable audience from time to time for three yeeres: during which space I abode there in his Court, as her Majesties Agent and Ligier: and whensoever I had occasion of businesse I was admitted either to his Majestie himselfe, or to his vice Roy, whose name was Alcayde Breme Saphiana, a very wise and discreet person, and the chiefest about his Majestie. The particulers of my service, for divers good and reasonable causes, I forbeare here to put downe in writing. After leave obtained, and an honourable reward bestowed by the Emperour upon me, I departed from his Court at Marocco the 18. of August 1588. toward a garden of his, which is called Shersbonare, where he promised mee I should stay but one day for his letters: howbeit, upon some occasion I was stayed until the 14. of September at the kings charges, with 40. or 50. shot attending upon me for my guard and safetie. From thence at length I was conducted with all things necessary to the port of Santa Cruz, being sixe dayes journey from Marocco, and the place where our shippes do commonly take in their lading, where I arrived the 21. of the same moneth. In this port I stayed 43. dayes, and at length the second of November I embarqued my selfe, and one Marshok Reiz a Captaine and 1585-89. |