tatis vestræ, cui omnis honos & gratia debetur, juxta modum prædictum, ut Cosaci facinorosi exquirantur & pœna perfecta puniantur, aut ratione muneris aliquantuli eorum delicta condonentur, hac inquam conditione literæ Cæsareæ celsitudinis ad Regem Poloniæ sunt datæ. Si autem ex parte Serenitatis vestræ fœdus & pax sollicitata non fuisset, nulla ratione Cæsarea celsitudo fœdus cum regno Poloniæ injisset. In favorem autem Serenitatis vestræ regno & Regi Poloniæ singularem gratiam Cæsarea celsitudo exhibuit. Quod tàm Serenitas vestra, quàm etiam Rex & regnum Poloniæ sibi certò persuadere debent. Serenitatem vestram benè fœlicissiméque valere cupimus. Datum Constantinopoli in fine mensis Sabaum nuncupati, Anno prophetæ nostri sacrati Mahumedi nongentesimo, nonagesimo, octavo. JESU vero Anno millesimo quingentesimo nonagesimo, die duodecimo mensis Junii. The same in English. ́Ost glorious, and the most resplendent of women, and the most resperatious most select Princesse, most gratious Elizabeth Queene of the valiant followers of Jesus in the famous kingdom of England, most wise governesse of all the affaires and businesses of the people and family of the Nazarens, most sweet fountaine of brightnesse and glory, most acceptable cloud of raine, inheritresse & Ladie of the blessednesse and glory of the renowmed kingdome of England, to whom in humble wise all men offer their petitions: wishing of the almightie Creator most happie increase and prosperous successe unto all your Majesties affaires and actions, and offering up mutuall & perpetuall vowes worthy of our familiarity, with eternall prayses: In most friendly manner we signifie unto your princely Highnesse, that certaine yeeres past the most mightie Cesarlike majestie of the Grand Signor waged unspeakeable warres with Casul-bas the Prince of the Persians, in regarde of which warres he would not goe in battell against any other places; and for that cause 1590. [II. i. 295.] 1590. certaine theeves in the partes of Polonia called Cosacks, and other notorious persons living in the same partes ceased not to trouble and molest the subjects of our most mightie Emperour. But now having finished and brought to some good issue his affaires in Persia, determining to punish the saide malefactors of Poland, and for that purpose committing an army unto the Beglerbeg of Grecia, and the yeere last past, sending his imperiall commaundement unto the Prince of the Tartars, he hath forraged, molested, and layed waste some part of the kingdome of Poland, and the Cosacks and other notorious offenders have received condigne punishment. Which the king of Poland perceiving sent two Embassadours to his imperiall Highnesse signifying, that he would hunt out the said malefactors, and inflict most severe punishments upon them, and also that he would better his gift, which he hath for many yeeres heretofore ordinarily sent unto the porch of his imperiall Highnesse. Howbeit his imperiall majestie (upon whom the almightie creator hath bestowed so great power, and who vouchsafeth to give eare unto all humble suppliants) rejecting the supplication of the King of Poland, determined againe to send his armie against the said king, and by the helpe of the Almightie creator, utterly to subvert and overthrowe his kingdome. By your Majesties Embassadour resident in the blessed and glorious porch of his imperiall Highnesse interposing himselfe as a mediatour, signifying that from the partes of Poland you were furnished with corne, gun-powder, mastes of ships, guns, and other necessaries, and craving peace on the behalfe of the kingdome and king of Poland, and making intercession, that the said king might not be molested nor troubled by the meanes of the Grand Signor, & declaring that this was your Majesties most earnest desire; so soone as the report and intercession of your Majesties Embassadour was signified unto the Grand Signor, for your sake, unto whom all honour and favourable regard is due, upon the condition aforesaid, namely, that the wicked Cosacks might be sought out and grievously punished, or that The second letters Patents graunted by the Lizabeth by the grace of God Queene of England, France, and Irelande, defender of the faith &c. To all our Officers, ministers and subjects, and to all other people aswell within this our Realme of England, as else where under our obeysance and jurisdiction or otherwise unto whom these our letters shalbe seene, shewed, or read, greeting. 1592. Where our welbeloved subjects Edward Osborne knight Alderman of our citie of London, William Hareborne Esquire, and Richard Staper of our saide citie Marchant, have by great adventure and industrie with their great cost and charges by the space of sundry late [II. i. 296.] yeeres travelled, and caused travell to be taken aswell by secrete and good meanes, as by daungerous wayes 1592. and passages both by lande and sea to finde out and set open a trade of marchandize and traffike into the landes, Ilandes, Dominions, and territories of the great Turke, commonly called the Grand Signor, not before that time in the memorie of any man now living knowen to be commonly used and frequented by way of marchandize by any the marchantes or other subjectes of us or our progenitors: And also have by their like good meanes and industrie and great charges procured of the sayde Grand Signor in our name, amitie, safetie and freedome for trade and traffike of marchandize to be used and continued by our subjects within his sayd dominions, whereby we perceive and finde that both many good actions have beene done and performed, and hereafter are likely continually to be done and performed for the peace of Christendome: Namely by the reliefe and discharge of many Christians which have beene, and which hereafter may happen to be in thraldome and bondage under the sayde Grand Signor and his vassals or subjects. And also good and profitable vent and utterance of the commodities of our Realme, and sundrie other great benefites to the advancement of our honour and dignitie Royall, the maintenance of our Navie, the encrease of our customes, and the revenues of our Crowne, and generally the great wealth of our whole Realme. And whereas we are enformed of the sayd Edward Osborne knight, William Hareborne, and Richard Staper, that George Barne, Richard Martine, John Harte knights, and other marchants of our sayd Citie of London have by the space of eight or nine yeeres past joyned themselves in companie, trade and traffike with them the sayd Edward Osborne knight, William Hareborne and Richard Staper, into the sayde dominions of the sayd great Turke, to the furtherance thereof and the good of the Realme. And whereas further it is made knowen unto us, that within fewe yeeres now past our loving and good subjects Thomas Cordall, Edward Holmeden, William Garraway and Paul Banning, and sundry other marchants of our said Citie of London, have likewise at their great costes and charges, builded and furnished diverse good and serviceable shippes and therewith to their like costs and charges have traded and frequented, and from time to time doe trade and frequent and traffike by sea with the commodities of our Realme to Venice, Zante, Candie, and Zephalonia and other the dominions of the Segniorie and State of Venice, and thereby have made and mainteyned, and doe make and continually maintaine divers good shippes with mariners skilfull and fitte and necessarie for our service: and doe vent out of our Realme into those partes diverse commodities of our Realme, and returne hither into our sayde Realme many good and necessarie commodities for the common wealth thereof: All which traffike, as well inward as outward untill it hath beene otherwise brought to passe by the sayde endevours, costs, and charges of our sayde subjects, was in effect by our subjectes wholy discontinued. Knowe yee, that hereupon we greatly tendring the wealth of our people and the encouragement of them and other our loving subjects in their good enterprises for the advancement of lawfull traffike to the benefite of our common wealth, have of our speciall grace, certaine knowledge, and meere motion given and graunted, and by these presents for us, our heyres, and successours, doe give and graunt unto our sayd trustie and welbeloved subjectes Edwarde Osborne Knight, George Barne Knight, George Bonde knight, Richard Martine knight, John Harte knight, John Hawkins knight, William Massam, John Spencer, Richard Saltonstall, Nicholas Mosley Aldermen of our sayde Citie of London, William Hareborne, Edwarde Barton, William Borrough Esquires, Richard Staper, Thomas Cordall, Henrie Parvis, Thomas Laurence, Edwarde Holmeden, William Garraway, Robert Dowe, Paul Banning, Roger Clarke, Henrie Anderson, Robert Offley, Philip Grimes, Andrewe Banning, James Staper, Robert Sadler, Leonarde Power, George Salter, Nicholas 1592. |