whom most heartily saluted I commend to the divine tuition and holy direction. From my house Rapamat, this 28. of June 1586. Your loving and good friend her Majesties Ambassador with the Grand Signor, A petition exhibited to the Viceroy for reformation of sundry injuries offered our nation in Morea, as also for sundry demaundes needefull for the establishing of the traffike in those parts. I FIRST that our people may be freed of such wonted molestation, as the Janisers of Patrasso have alwayes from time to time offered them, not regarding the kings commandements to the contrary. That they be removed and called away from thence, and none other remaine in their place. 2 That where heretofore the kings commandements have beene graunted to ours, that no person whatsoever shall forceably take from them any of their commodities, otherwise then paying them before the deliverie thereof, for the same in readie money, at such price as they themselves will, and sell ordinarily to others, as also that no officer whatsoever, of the kings or any other, shall force them to buy any commodities of that countrey, otherwise then the needfull, at their owne will and pleasure, that the said commandements not heretofore obeyed may be renued with such straight charge for the execution of the same, as is requisite for their due effect. 3 That whereas sundry exactions and oppressions be offered ours by such Byes, Sanjacbies, justices and Cadies, Janizaries, Capagies, and others, officers of the kings comming downe into those parts, who finding there resident no other nation but only ours, will under the name of presents forceable take from them what they please: We do require to obvent these harmes, it may be specified by a commandement from the king to which of such his officers, presents may be given, and their sundry values, whereby both they and ours may rest contented, severely prohibiting in the said commandement, that they take no more then that appointed them, and that no other officers but those onely specified in that commaundement, doe forcibly require of them any thing whatsoever. 4 That the Nadir and Customer of the port, having permitted our ship to lade, doe not after demand of the marchants any other then the outward custome due to the king for the same goods. And being so laden, may by them and the Cadie with other their inferiour officers be visited, requiring for the visiting no more then formerly they were accustomed to pay at their first comming. After which the said ship to depart at the Consuls pleasure, without any molestation of them, or any other officer whatsoever. 5 That Mahomet Chaus, sometime Nadir of Lepanto, and Azon Agon his substitute being with him may be severely punished to the example of others, for often and unjustly molesting our nation, contrarie to the kings commandement, which they disdainefully contemned, as also that the said Mahomet restore and pay unto ours thirtie for 300 sackes of currants nowe taken forcibly out of a barke, comming thither from the hither partes of Morea, to pay the king his custome, and that from hence forth, neither the said Mahomet, Azon Agon, nor any other officer or person whatsoever doe hinder or trouble any of ours going thither or to any other place about ther affaires. 6 That whereas certaine Jewes of Lepanto owing money to our marchants for commodities solde them, have not hitherto satisfied them, notwithstanding ours had from the king a commandement for the recovery of the same debts, but fled and absented themselves out of the Towne at the comming of the same, another more forcible commaundement may be graunted ours, that for nonpaiment, whatsoever may be found of theirs in goods, houses, vineyards, or any other thing, may be sold, and ours satisfied of their said debt, according to equitie and reason. A commandement to Patrasso in Morea. WHEN this commandement shall come unto you, know you, that the Consul of the English Nation in our port of Patrasso, hath given us to understand, that formerly we granted him a commandement that having paied once custome for the currants bought to lade in their ships, they shall not pay it againe according to which they bringing it to the port of Petrasso, informing thereof Mahomet the Nadir of Lepanto, he contrary to the tenor thereof and former order, doth againe take another cus tome of him, and requiring him to know why he so did contrary to our commandement, he answered us, he tooke it not for custome, but for a present. Moreover the sayd Consull certified us how that the said Nadir contrary to ancient custome doth not take for the kings right as he ought currents, but will have of the poore men money at his pleasure, and therewith buyeth currents at a very low price, which after he doth forcibly sell to us at a much higher price, saying it is remainder of the goods of the king, and by this meanes doth hurt the poore men and do them wrong. Wherefore I command you by this my commandement, that you looke to this matter betweene this Consull, the Nadir, and this people, and do therein equally according to right. And see that our commandement in this matter be observed in such sort, as they having once in the port paied full custome, do not pay it againe, neither that this Nadir do take any more money of them by the way of present, for that therein it is most certaine he doth them injurie contrary to the Canon. And if with you shall be found to the value of one Asper taken heretofore wrongfully of them, see it presently restored to them, without any default. And from hencefoorth see that he doe neither him nor his people wrong, but that he deale with them in all things according to our Canon, that the Consull and his hereafter have no occasion any more to complaine here in our Court, and that the Nadir proceed in gathering corants of the people after the old order and not otherwise. This know you for certaine, and give credit to this my commaundement, which having read deliver againe into the Consuls handes. From Constantinople the yeere of Mahomet 993. A commandement for Chio. VOBIS, Beg & Cadi & Ermini, qui estis in Chio, significamus: quòd serenissimæ Reginæ Majestatis Angliæ orator, qui est in excelsa porta per literas significavit nobis, quod ex navibus Anglicis una navis venisset ad portum Chio, & illinc Constantinopolim recto cursu voluisset venire, & contra privilegium detinuistis, & non sivistis venire. Hæc prædictus orator significavit nobis : & petivit a nobis in hoc negocio hoc mandatum, ut naves Anglicæ veniant & redeant in nostras ditiones Cæsareas. Privilegium datum & concessum est ex parte Serenitatis Cæsarea nostræ: & hujus privilegii copia data est sub insigni nostro: Et contra nostrum privilegium Cæsareum quod ita agitur, quæ est causa? Quando cum hoc mandato nostro homines illorum ad vos venerint ex prædicta Anglia, si navis venerit ad portum vestrum, & si res & merces ex nave exemerint, & vendiderint, & tricessimam secundam partem reddiderint, & res quæ manserint Constantinopolim auferre velint, patiantur: Et si aliquis contra privilegium & articulos ejus aliquid ageret, non sinatis, nec vos facite : & impediri non sinatis eos, ut rectà Constantinopolim venientes in suis negotiationibus sine molestia esse possint. Et quicunque contra hoc mandatum & privilegium nostrum aliquid fecerit, nobis significate. Huic mandato nostro & insigni fidem adhibete. In principio mensis Decembris. A commandement for Baliabadram. SERENISSIMÆ Reginæ Angliæ orator literis supplicatoriis in porta nostra fulgida significavit, quod Baliabadram venientes mercatores, naves & homines eorum, contra privilegium impedirentur & molestarentur. Inter nos enim & Reginam cum fœdus sit, ut mercatores, homines & naves eorum contra privilegium impediantur aut molestentur, nullo unquam pacto concedimus. Mandamus igitur, ut literæ nostræ Cæsareæ, quàm primum tibi exhibitæ fuerint, has in persona propria cures, secundum quod convenit, videasque ex Anglia Baliabadram cum mercibus venientibus mercatoribus, & alias ob causas venientibus hominibus, in summa Angliensibus & navibus eorum, & in navibus existentibus mercibus & rebus contra fœdus & privilegium, injuria, vis aut damnum non inferatur: sed, ut convenit, defendas, ut naves, mercatores, & homines, nostri velut proprii subditi, liberi ab omni vi & injuria permaneant, & negotiis suis incumbant. Et quod illius loci Janisseri illos impedirent, significatum est: ut illi illis nocumento sint nullo modo concedimus. Juxta tenorem mandati hujus illos commonefacias, ut nihil quicquam contra fœdus faciant, ita ut nunquam hujusmodi querela huc veniat, quia quicquid acciderit, a te expostulabimus. Negligentiam postponito, & insigni Cæsareo fidem ad hibeto. A commaundement for Egypt. SCITO quod orator Reginæ Angliæ in porta mea existens libellum supplicem ad portam nostram mittens significavit, quod cum ex Ægypto Consul eorum abesset, Consul illic Gallicus existens, Vento nuncupatus, quamvis ante hæc tempora ne manus in Anglos mitteret mandatum nostrum fuerit datum, Angli sub vexillo & tutela nostra sunt inquiens, mandatum Cæsareum vili existimans, non cessavit perturbare Anglos. Quare scito quod Reginæ Angliæ privilegium nostrum est datum. Juxta illud privilegium Anglis nulla ratione Consul Gallicus Consulatum agat, neve manus immittat, mandatum nostrum postulavit ejus legatus. Quare mando, ut contra privilegium nostrum Consul Gallicus Anglis injuriam non inferat, neve Consulatum agat. Judici Ægypti literæ nostræ sunt data: hanc ob causam mando tibi quoque, ut juxta illud mandatum nostrum, contra privilegium nostrum Anglis Gallum Consulatum agere nunquam patiare. Sic scito, & insigni meo fidem adhibeto. A commaundement of the Grand Signior to the Cadie or Judge of Alexandria. THE Embassadour for the Queenes most excellent Majestie of England certified us howe that at the death of one of their marchants in Alexandria called Edward Chamberlaine, the French Consul Vento sealing up his fondego and chamber, tooke under his seale al his goods and marchandise into his power, and required our commandement that all the goods might be restored againe according to justice unto the Englishmen wherefore we commaund you that having received this our commandement, you assemble those of the one part and of the other together, and if it be not passed five yeeres, if you have not looked to it heretofore, now carefully looke to it, & if it be according to their Arz or certificate presented unto us, that the foresaid French Consull Vento hath wrongfully taken into his power the goods of the deceased English marchant under his seale, that then you cause him to restore all the said goods and marchandise sealed by him, and make good that which is thereof wanting unto the English marchants: doe in this matter according to justice, and credite this our seale. A commandement to the Bassa of Alexandria. THE Embassadour for the Queenes most excellent Majesty of England by supplication certified us, how that not |