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The letters sent from the Imperiall Musulmanlike highnesse of Zuldan Murad Can, to the sacred regall Majestie of Elizabeth Queene of England, the fifteenth of March 1579, conteyning the grant of the first privileges.

Iv greatnes and glory most renowmed Elizabeth, most sacred Queene, and noble prince of the most mightie worshippers of Jesus, most wise governor of the causes and affaires of the people and family of Nazareth, cloud of most pleasant raine, and sweetest fountaine of noblenesse and vertue, ladie & heire of the perpetuall happinesse & glory of the noble Realme of England (whom all sorts seeke unto and submit themselves) we wish most prosperous successe and happie ends to all your actions, and do offer unto you such pleasures and curtesies as are worthy of our mutuall and eternall familiaritie: thus ending (as best beseemeth us) our former salutations.

In most friendly maner we give you to understand, that a certaine man hath come unto us in the name of your most excellent Regall Majestie, commending unto us from you all kindnesse, curtesie and friendly offices on your part, and did humbly require that our Imperiall highnesse would vouchsafe to give leave and libertie to him and unto two other merchants of your kingdome, to resort hither and returne againe, and that by way of traffike they might be suffered to trade hither with their goods and merchandizes to our Imperiall dominions, and in like sort to make their returne.

Our stately Court and Countrey hath beene ever open for the accesse both of our enemies and friends. But because we are informed that your most excellent Regall Majesty doth abound with good will, humanitie, & all kind of loving affection towards us, so much the rather shall the same our Countrey be alwayes open to such of your subjects, as by way of merchandize shall trade hither and we will never faile to aide & succor any of them that are or shal be willing to esteeme of our friendship, favour, & assistance: but will reckon it some part of our dutie to gratifie them by all good meanes. And forasmuch as our Imperiall highnesse is given to understand that your most excellent Regall Majestie doth excell in bountie & curtesie, we therfore have sent out our Imperiall commandement to all our kings, judges, and

travellers by sea, to all our Captaines and voluntarie seafaring men, ail condemned persons, and officers of Ports and customes, straightly charging and commanding them, that such foresaid persons as shall resort hither by sea from the Realme of England, either with great or small vessels to trade by way of marchandize, may lawfully come to our imperiall Dominions, and freely returne home againe, and that no man shall dare to molest or trouble them. And if in like sort they shall come into our dominions by land, either on foote or on horsebacke, no man shall at any time withstand or hinder them: but as our familiars and confederates, the French, Venetians, Polonians, and the king of Germany, with divers other our neighbours about us, have libertie to come hither, & to returne againe into their owne countreys, in like sort the marchants of your most excellent Regall Majesties kingdome shall have safe conduct and leave to repayre hither to our Imperiall dominions, and so to returne againe into their own Country: straightly charging that they be suffered to use and trade all kind of marchandize as any other Christians doe, without let or disturbance of any.

Therefore when these our Imperiall letters shall be brought to your most excellent Regall Majestie, it shall be meet, according to our benevolence, humanity, and familiarity towards your most excellent Majesty, that you likewise bethinke your selfe of your like benevolence, humanitie and friendshippe towards us, to open the gate thereof unto us, and to nourish by all good meanes this kindnesse and friendship: and that like libertie may be granted by your Highnesse to our subjects and merchants to come with their merchandizes to your dominions, either by sea with their ships, or by land with their wagons or horses, and to returne home againe: and that your most excellent Regall Majestie do alwayes declare your humanitie, good will, and friendship towards us, and alwayes keepe open the dore thereof unto us.

Given at our citie of Constantinople the fifteenth day of March, and in the yeere of our most holy Prophet Mahomet 987.

III.

The answere of her Majestie to the aforesaid Letters of the Great Turke, sent the 25 of October 1579, in the Prudence of London by Master Richard Stanley. ELIZABETH by the grace of the most mightie God, and onely Creatour of heaven and earth, of England, France and Ireland Queene, the most invincible and most mighty defender of the Christian faith against all kinde of idolatries, of all that live among the Christians, and falsly professe the Name of Christ, unto the most Imperiall and most invincible prince, Zuldan Murad Can, the most mightie ruler of the kingdome of Turkie, sole and above all, and most sovereigne Monarch of the East Empire, greeting, and many happy and fortunate yeeres, with abundance of the best things.

Most Imperiall and most invincible Emperour, wee have received the letters of your mightie highnesse written to us from Constantinople the fifteenth day of March this present yere, whereby we understand how gratiously, and how favorably the humble petitions of one William Hareborne a subject of ours, resident in the Imperial citie of your highnes presented unto your Majestie for the obteining of accesse for him and two other Marchants more of his company our subjects also, to come with marchandizes both by sea and land, to the countreis and territories subject to your government, and from thence againe to returne home with good leave and libertie, were accepted of your most invincible Imperiall highnesse, and not that onely, but with an extraordinarie speed and worthy your Imperiall grace, that which was craved by petition was granted to him, and his company in regard onely (as it seemeth) of that opinion which your highnesse conceived of us and our amitie: which singular benefit done to our aforesaid subjects, wee take so thankefully, and in so good part (yeelding for the same our greatest thanks to your highnesse) that he will never give occasion to your said highnesse (according as time, and the respect of our affaires will permit) once to thinke so great a pleasure bestowed upon an ungratefull Prince. For the Almighty God, by whom, and by whose grace we reigne, hath planted in us this goodnesse of nature, that wee detest and abhorre the least suspition of ingratitude, and hath taught us not to suffer our selves to bee overmatched with the good demerits of other Princes. And therefore at this

time wee doe extende our good minde unto your highnesse, by well conceiving, and publishing also abroad, how much we repute our selfe bound in an everlasting remembrance for this good pleasure to our Subjects, meaning to yeelde a much more large and plentifull testification of our thankefulnesse, when time convenient shall fall out, and the same shall bee looked for at our handes.

But whereas that graunt which was given to a fewe of our Subjects, and at their onely request without any intercession of ours, standeth in as free a libertie of comming and going to and from all the lands and kingdoms subject to your Majestie, both by land & sea with marchandizes, as ever was granted to any of your Imperiall highnesse confederates, as namely to the French, the Polonians, the Venetians, as also to the subjects of the king of the Romanes, wee desire of your highnesse that the commendation of such singular courtesie may not bee so narrowly restrained to two or three men onely, but may be inlarged to all our subjects in generall, that thereby your highnesse goodnesse may appeare the more notable, by reason of the graunting of the same to a greater number of persons. The bestowing of which so singular a benefit your highnesse shall so much the lesse repent you of, by howe much the more fit and necessary for the use of man those commodities are, wherewith our kingdomes doe abound, and the kingdomes of other princes doe want, so yt there is no nation that can be without them, but are glad to come by them, although by very long and difficult travels and when they have them, they sell them much deerer to others, because every man seeketh to make profite by his labour: so that in the getting of them there is profit, but in the buying of them from others there is losse. But this profite will be increased to the subjects of your highnesse by this free accesse of a few of our subjects to your dominions, as also the losse and burden wilbe eased, by the permission of generall accesse to all our people. And furthermore we will graunt as equall and as free a libertie to the subjects of your highnesse with us for the use of traffique, when they wil, and as often as they wil, to come, and go to and from us and our kingdomes. Which libertie wee promise to your highnesse shalbe as ample, and as large as any was ever given or granted to your subjects by the aforesaide princes your confederats, as namely the king

of the Romanes, of France, of Poland, and the common wealth of Venice. In which matter, if your most invincible Imperiall highnesse shall vouchsafe to incline to our reasonable request, and shall give order upon these our letters, that wee may have knowledge how the same is accepted of you, and whether it wilbe granted, with sufficient securitie for our subjects to go, and returne safe and secure from all violences and injuries of your people, we on the other side wil give order, that those commodities which Almighty God hath bestowed upon our kingdomes (which are in deed so excellent, that by reason of them all princes are drawen to enter, and confirme leagues of amitie and good neighborhood with us, by that meanes to enjoy these so great blessings of God, which we have, and they can in no case want) our subjects shall bring them so abundantly and plentifully to the kingdomes and dominions of your highnesse, that both the former inconveniences of necessitie, and losse, shall most sufficiently be taken away.

Moreover the signification and assurance of your highnesse great affection to us and our nation, doeth cause us also to intreat and use mediation on the behalfe of certaine of our subjects, who are deteined as slaves and captives in your Gallies, for whom we crave, that forasmuch as they are fallen into that misery, not by any offence of theirs, by bearing of armes against your highnesse, or in behaving of themselves contrary to honestie, and to the law of nations, they may be delivered from their bondage, and restored to libertie, for their service towardes us, according to their duetie: which thing shall yeeld much more abundant cause to us of commending your clemencie, and of beseeching that God (who onely is above all things, and all men, and is a most severe revenger of all idolatrie, and is jelous of his honour against the false gods of the nations) to adorne your most invincible Imperiall highnesse with all the blessings of those gifts, which onely and deservedly are accounted most worthy of asking.

Given at our palace of Greenwich, neere to our Citie of London, the five and twentieth day of October, in the yeere of Jesus Christ our Saviour one thousand, five hundreth, seventie and nine, and of our reigne the one and twentieth.

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