of all the kings christened. Hee set foorth also what power the Turke had, what diversities of companies, what capitaines he had, so that he thought, that without a marvelous great number of people, hee could not be overthrowen. Wherefore he most humbly besought the king as S. Georges knight, and defender of the faith, to assist the king his master in that godly warre and vertuous purpose.

To this oration the king by the mouth of Sir Thomas Moore answered; that much hee lamented the losse that happened in Hungarie, and if it were not for the warres which were betweene the two great princes, he thought that the Turke would not have enterprised that acte: wherefore he with all his studie would take paine, first, to set an unitie and peace throughout all Christendome, and after that, both with money and men he would be readie to helpe toward that glorious warre, as much as any other prince in Christendome. After this done, the ambassadours were well cherished, and divers times resorted to the court, and had great cheere and good rewards, and so the third day of May next following, they tooke their leave & departed homeward.

The antiquitie of the trade with English ships into the Levant.

IN the yeeres of our Lord, 1511. 1512. &c. till the yeere 1534. divers tall ships of London, namely, The Christopher Campion, wherein was Factor one Roger Whitcome; the Mary George, wherein was Factor William Gresham; the great Mary Grace, the Owner whereof, was William Gunson, and the master one John Hely; the Trinitie Fitz-williams, whereof was master Laurence Arkey; the Mathew of London, whereof was master William Capling, with certaine other ships of Southampton and Bristow, had an ordinarie and usuall trade to Sicilia, Candie, Chio, and somewhiles to Cyprus, as also to Tripolis and Barutti in Syria. The commodities which they caried thither were fine Kersies of divers colours, course Kersies, white Westerne dozens, Cottons, certaine clothes called Statutes, and others called Cardinal-whites, and Calveskins which were well sold in Sicilie, &c. The commodities which they returned backe were Silks, Chamlets, Rubarbe, Malmesies, Muskadels and other wines, sweete oyles, cotten

wooll, Turkie carpets, Galles, Pepper, Cinamom, and some other spices, &c. Besides, the naturall inhabitants of the foresayd places, they had, even in those dayes, traffique with Jewes, Turkes, and other forreiners. Neither did our merchants onely employ their owne English shipping before mentioned, but sundry strangers also: as namely, Candiots, Raguseans, Sicilians, Genouezes, Venetian galliasses, Spanish and Portugale ships. All which particulars doe most evidently appeare out of certaine auncient Ligier bookes of the R. W. Sir William Locke Mercer of London, of Sir William Bowyer Alderman of London, of master John Gresham, and of others; which I Richard Hakluyt have diligently perused and copied out. And here for authorities sake I doe annexe, as a thing not impertinent to this purpose, a letter of king Henry the eight, unto Don John the third, king of Portugale.

A letter of the king of England Henry the eight, to John king of Portugale, for a Portingale ship with the goods of John Gresham and Wil. Locke with others, unladen in Portugale from Chio.

To the high and mighty prince, John by the grace of God, king of Portugale, and of Algarve on this side and beyond the sea in Africa, lord of Ghinea, and of the conquest, navigation, and traffique of Ethiopia, Arabia, Persia, India, &c. our most deere and welbeloved brother. Henry by the grace of God, king of England and of France, defender of the faith, and lord of Ireland: to John by the same grace, king of Portugale and Algarve, on this side and beyond the sea in Africa, and lord of Ghinea, and of the conquest, navigation, and traffique of Aethiopia, Arabia, Persia, India, &c. our most deare and welbeloved brother, sendeth greeting. So much ye more willingly and readily we undertake the recommending of all just causes unto your highnesse, because by the daily testimonie of our subjects which traffike in your kingdoms and dominions, we are informed, that according to the dutie of a most worthy prince, so carefully and exactly you minister justice unto every man, that all men most willingly repaire unto your highnesse, with full trust to obtaine the same. Whereas therefore our welbeloved and trustie subject John Gresham merchant of London,

of late in humble maner hath signified unto us, that one William Heith his Factor and Agent, certaine moneths agoe had hired in Candie a certaine Portugale ship called Santo Antonio, (the patrone whereof is Diego Perez) and covenaunted with the patrone of the sayd ship, that he should first saile to the Isle of Sio, to take in merchandize of sundry sortes, & then eftsoones returne to Candie, to be fraighted with other goods, all which he was to bring into our kingdome of England, to the value of 12000 ducats, as by their billes of covenant & agreement more plainly appeareth: it so fel out, that ye aforesaid Diego your highnes subject having received the said goods, very trecherously & much contrary to his covenant, to the exceeding great losse of our subjects, putting in by the way into an haven of Portugale, & altering his purpose of comming into England, he remaineth still in that haven, & likewise detaineth our subjects goods. Which injury (seeing it is done in your Highnes kingdome) we hope your Highnes will see reformed according to equity & right, the rather at our request, which alwayes have had a speciall care of the causes & goods of your Highnes, & of your subjects whensoever they come into our kingdome, wherof we made proofe the last yeere. Wherefore we instantly request your Highnes, yt you would so receive John Ratcliffe the bearer of these present letters, & the new appointed agent of John Gresham, which cummeth into your dominions about this business, being thus commended unto you in this busines, & recovering & freely bringing home of the said goods, & in remitting of the customs, unlesse they were sold there (the like whereof we did towards your subjects) seeing by the fraud & deceit of the patron of the ship, the wares were brought thither, & finally in dispatching ye whole matter, according to justice, & so further the same by directing your highnes letters to your officers whom it may concerne, that we may perceive, that our subjects right and liberty hath especially beene maintained upon this our commendation.

Which we will take in most thankfull part, and your highnes shal find us in the like or a greater matter most ready to gratifie you, whom we wish most heartily well to fare. From our Court at Waltham the

15. of October 1531.

A voyage made with the shippes called the Holy Crosse, and the Mathew Gonson, to the Iles of Candia and Chio, about the yeere 1534, according to a relation made to Master Richard Hackluit, by John Williamson, Cooper and citizen of London, who lived in the yere 1592, and went as cooper in the Mathew Gonson the next voyage after.

THE shippes called the Holy Crosse, and the Mathew Gonson, made a voyage to the Ilandes of Candia and Chio in Turkie, about the yeere 1534. And in the Mathew went as Captaine M. Richard Gonson, sonne of old Master William Gonson, paymaster of the kings navie. In this first voyage went William Holstocke (who afterwards was Controuller of her Majesties Navie, lately deceased) as page to M. Richard Gonson aforesaid, which M. Gonson died in Chio in this his first voyage. The ship called the Holy Crosse was a short shippe, and of burden 160 tunnes. And having beene a full yeere at the sea in performance of this voyage, with great danger she returned home, where, upon her arrival at Blackwall, in the river of Thames, her wine and oyle caske was found so weake, that they were not able to hoyse them out of the ship, but were constrayned to draw them as they lay, and put their wine and oyle into new vessels, and so to unlade the shippe. Their chiefe fraight, was very excellent Muscatels and red Malmesie, the like whereof were seeldome seene before in England. They brought home also good quantitie of sweete oyles, cotton woolles, Turkie Carpets, Galles, Cynamon, and some other spices. The saide shippe called the Holy Crosse was so shaken in this voyage, and so weakened, that she was layd up in the docke, and never made voyage after.

Another voyage to the Iles of Candia and Chio made by the shippe the Mathew Gonson, about the yeere 1535, according to the relation of John Williamson, then Cooper in the same ship, made to M. Richard Hackluit in the yeere 1592.

THE good shippe called the Mathew Gonson, of burden. 300 tunnes, whereof was owner old M. William Gonson, paymaster of the kings Navie, made her voyage in the yere 1535. In this ship went as Captaine Richard Gray,

who long after died in Russia. Master William Holstocke afterward Controuller of the Queenes Navie went then as purser in the same voyage. The Master was one John Pichet, servant to old M. William Gonson, James Rumnie was Masters mate. The master cooper was John Williamson citizen of London, living in the yeere 1592, and dwelling in Sant Dunstons parish in the East. The M. Gunner was John Godfrey of Bristoll. In this ship were 6 gunners and 4 trumpetters, all which foure trumpetters at our returne homewards went on land at Messina in the Iland of Sicilia, as our ship road there at anker, & gat them into the Gallies that lay neere unto us, & in them went to Rome. The whole number of our companie in this ship were about 100. men, we were also furnished with a great bote, which was able to cary 10 tunnes of water, which at our returne homewards we towed all the way from Chio untill we came through the straight of Gibraltar into the maine Ocean. We had also a great long boat and a skiff. We were out upon this voyage eleven moneths, yet in all this time there died of sicknesse but one man, whose name was George Forrest, being servant to our Carpenter called Thomas Plummer.

In a great lygier booke of one William Eyms, servant unto Sir William Bowyer Alderman of London, bearing date the 15 of November 1533, and continued untill the 4 of July 1544. I find that he the said William Eyms was factor in Chio, not only for his Master, but also for the duke of Norfolkes grace, & for many other worshipful marchants of London, among whom I find the accompts of these especially, to wit, of his said Master, sir William Bowyer, of William & Nicholas Wilford Marchant-taylors of London, of Thomas Curtis pewterer, of John Starky Mercer, of William Ostrige Marchant, & of Richard Field Draper. And further I find in the said ligier booke, a note of the said Eyms, of all such goods as he left in the hands of Robert Bye in Chio, who became his Masters factor in his roome, and another like note of particulers of goods that he left in the hands of Oliver Lesson, servant to William and Nicholas Wilford. And for proofe of the continuance of this trade untill the end of the yeere 1552. I found annexed unto the former note of the goods left with Robert Bye in Chio, a letter being dated the 27 of November 1552 in London.