their goods restored, which if it be not there accomplished as the grand Signior hath now commanded & most faithfully promised, neither yet in case of their denial, those offenders punished here, and our injuries redressed, we are to demand our Congie, & command our merchants her majesties subjects, to end their traffike here, which in our countrey commodities is prooved & found by the grand Signior to be so beneficial to his countries as we are assured so well thereof, as also for the honor which his ancestors never had of friendship wt so mighty a prince as is her majesty, he wil not but maintaine ye faith promised her, & the intercourse in due force. And where you say yt the grand Signor his letters, in the behalf of the French, were no more accepted there, then of a mean man, nor tooke no place, that is not material to us, our letters are after another sort much more effectuall. For our case & theirs be found far different, in yt they be not onely now out of favour with him, but also the commodities which they bring hither, as suger, paper, bracelets, ropes of bast almonds, &c. all which may be here wel spared, & we contrarily so wel esteemed, as he never denied us any thing since our comming demanded, which neither their ambassador, nor the Venetian could have here, & therfore we rest perswaded, knowing the wisdom of the Beglerbeg, who is advised by his friends from hence, of this our credite wt his master, he wil so respect his commandements, as to accomplish ye tenor therof according to our desire. And where you say yt the Janizers rule all there, I know right wel yt if things be not done as the grand Signior commandeth, his lieutenant must answer it. And therefore I am fully perswaded if he doe what he may they dare not resist him, for if they should, those rebels should not be unpunished of ye grand Signior. And though they speake their pleasures among themselves there, yet they be not so brutish, but they wel consider that their master ye grand Signior may not be gainsaid or mocked of any. For upon his word dependeth the life or death even of the chiefest, as I have seene since my comming hither. So whatsoever these Janizaries say, they will be better advised in their deedes then to withstand their Viceroy, if he himselfe wil use his lawfull power, which if hee doe not, hee cannot purge himselfe here of their evill proceedings against the grand Signiors friends for the feet may not rule the bodie, but contrary wise, the head, the feete, and all the rest of the members. And for that neither for feare, affection or otherwise you omit as a faithfull true subject to her majestie to do your dutie, I do by my warrant going herewith charge you, & in her majesties name, to the uttermost to use your good and faithful endevour, as becommeth a true subject, & in all things that may concerne her majesties good service, assisting the Chaus with the rest of our messengers in counsel, travel, & what els shall be thought requisite for your good discharge of your dutie. And to ye end you may boldly proceed herein as also for the good opinion sir Edward Osborne & the company have of you, and I no lesse perswaded of youre wisedom, upright dealing, & good experience in those parts, do send you herewith the grand Signiors & our patents for exercising the office of Consul there, in Tripolis & Tunis: by vertue of which authoritie you may without feare proceed as the office doeth chalenge in defence of our privilege, to redresse all injuries offred our nation. Which if you cannot get reformed there of ye Beglerbies upon your complaint, I thereof advertised, shal doe it here, and to the uttermost maintaine you in al rightful causes whatsoever, doubt you not. And hereafter according to your advise, I wil and do give our ships order not to fight with any gallies of Alger, but to hoise out their skiffe and go aboord to shew them their safeconduct, & to present the captain with a garment, & you there in such like case are to take order that they do not forceably take any thing from them. Nothing doubting but the Viceroy (whose friendship in her majesties behalfe I desire) will not onely performe the same your just request, & according to right, restore to libertie our men since the privilege taken, but also cause those yt tooke & sunke our ships to answere the value, which I have set downe truly, and rather with the least in the Inventorie translated into Turkish, whereof the inclosed is the copy in English, which I send to the end you may be the better informed of my demand by this our Chaus Mahomet, with whom in all things you are to conferre of matters expedient, for the honor of her majesties country, & the commoditie, and libertie of poore captives, which if the Viceroy do wel consider, according to his wisedom, as the grand Signior doeth thereof, he shal wel perceive it not onely a great honour to his master as aforesaid, to continue this amitie with her majestie, but chiefly to the whole estate of his kingdom exceeding profitable, which by this means shall be abundantly served with the chiefest commodities they want, with many other things of more importance to the grand Signior his contentation, not herein to be mentioned. For I know the Viceroies experienced wisdom can wel consider thereof, in such sort as he wil not deny to accomplish his masters commandement, & our earnest request in so smal a matter as this we require, whereof I expect no refusall: for thereby he shall increase his honor with the grand Signior, be in credite with her majestie, be void of trouble which hereafter by future suite against him may happen, and his gallies free of such doubtful issue as doeth chance, fighting with our ships. Which, as it is well knowen to all the world, have so great hearts as never cowardly to yeeld to their enemies. And that therefore in that respect (after the proverbe, like esteeme of their like) they are the more of such a valiant prince as is their Viceroy and his couragious souldiers to be in all friendship cherished and better esteemed. If the captaine Bassa had bene returned from Capha, I would in like maner have procured his letters, which for that he is not, I doubt nothing but that the grand Signiors will suffise. Thus commending your selfe and these proceedings to the almighty his merciful direction, I bid you most heartily wel to fare. From my mansion Rapamat nigh Pera, this 30. of March 1585. Series vel registrum valoris navium, bonorum, & hominum per triremes Argerienses ereptorum, una cum captivorum hominum nominibus, Beglerbego Argeriensi Hassano. I SALOMON de Plimmouth habuit 36. homines, onerata cum sale, onere trecentorum doliorum, valore Florenorum 5600. 2 Elizabetha de Garnesey cum decem hominibus Anglis, reliquis Britonibus, valore Florenorum 2000. 3 Maria Martin de London onere centum & triginta doliorum, rectore Thoma More cum triginta quinque hominibus, revertens de Patrasso cum mandato Cæsareo, valore Florenorum 1400. 4 Elizabeth Stokes de London, rectore David Fillie de London, Patrassum veniens cum mandato Cæsareo: hujus præcipuus valor erat in talleris numeratis, quos habuit Richardus Gibben, qui adduxit etiam Serenissimæ Regineæ majestatis literas Cæsari & oratori. Valor reliquus in mercibus una cum superiori in talleris effecit Florenorum 21500. 5 Nicolaus de London, rectore Thoma Forster, onerata cum uvis siccis, valore Florenorum 4800. In tempore Romadan Beglerbegi Agiræ spoliatæ & ereptæ naves, merces, & homines. I JUDITH de London, rectore Jacobo Beare, cum hominibus 24. valore Florenorum 3100. 21. 2 Jesus de London, rectore Andræa Dier, cum hominibus. Valorem hujus & 14. homines, reliquis mortuis, reddidit Romadan Bassa Tripolitanus Secretario legati, Edwardo Barten, valore Florenorum 9000. tunc Nomina hominum mancipatorum & viventium temporis, quando Cæsar illustrissimus, & dominus. Orator Chauseum Mahumetem miserunt Algiram. I Ante fœdus initum in nave Peter de Bristow. 2 In nave Swallow de London. Post fœdus initum in nave Britona. I In nave Rabnet de Hampton. 2 In nave Salomon. John Winter. Robert Barton. I In nave Elizabeth. John Woodward, Giles Naper, Leonard James, Oliver Dallimore, and Richard Maunsell. 2 In nave Maria Martin. Thomas Moore, Wil. White, Wil. Palmer, Nich. Long, Peter March, Rich. Haslewood, Wil. Dewly, Wil. Cowel, John Franke, Henry Parker, John Cavendish, Moises Robinson, James Sotherich, Henry Howel, Nich. Smith, Henry Ragster, Rich. Davison, Rich. Palmer. 3 In nave Elizabeth Stokes. David Fillie, Walter Street, Laurence Wilkins, Morgan Davis, John Quinte, Ambrose Harison, John Peterson, Tristram Vois, Roger Ribbe. 4 In nave Nicholas, Thomas Forster rector navis & ejus nautæ. To Assan Aga, Eunuch & Treasurer to Hassan Bassa king of Alger, which Assan Aga was the sonne of Fran. Rowlie of Bristow merchant, taken in the Swalow. I RECEIVED your letters of Will. Hamor gentleman my servant very thankfully, aswel for the fervent faith that by his report I heare you have in our lord Jesus Christ, by whose onely merits and bloodshedding, you together with us and all other good Christians so truly beleeving, shalbe saved, as also for your faithfull obedience like a true subject to her Majestie, naturally loving your countrey & countreymen, declared in your favourable furtherance of the said Wil. Hamore, procuring their redemption. Of which your good & vertuous actions, as I rejoice to understand, so wil I impart the same to your singuler commendation, both to our mistresse her Majestie, & her most honorable counsellers the nobilitie of England, to whom assure your selfe the report shalbe very welcome. And now this second time I am inforced by duetie to God & her majesty, as also by the smal regard your master had of the Grand Signors former commandements, to complaine unto him, though not so vehemently as I had occasion by his most unworthy answer. But I hope, & the rather by your means, he will not contrary this second commandement, threatning him, not observing the same, losse of office & life. The due execution whereof by your vertuous & careful industry procured, wil manifest to all the world, especially to her majesty, & me her ambassador, your true christian mind & English heart, intentively bent to Gods honor, & the libertie of the poore men, for which I trust you be ordained another Joseph, to folow his example in true pietie, in such sort that notwithstanding your body be subject to Turkish thraldom, yet your vertuous mind free from those vices, next under God addict to ye good service of your liege Lady & soveraigne princes, her most excellent majesty, wil continually seeke by all good means to manifest ye same in this & the like faithful service to your singuler commendation, wherby both my selfe & others in that place having found you in all good offices faithfully affectionated, may in like case performe the like towards you, when & where you may have occasion to use me which as I for my part do assuredly promise, & wil no lesse faithfully performe: so accordingly I expect herein, and hereafter the like of you, |
