Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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15 Also It May Please His Maiesty To Vnderstand That During The Time Of My
Long Being At Colmogro, Attending
His highnesse pleasure for my farther
accesse, I with my company haue not onely bene ill vsed and intreated
there,
And likewise the merchants there, by one Besson Myssereuy his
Maiesties chiefe officer, who hath dishonoured me, and smitten my people,
and oweth the saide merchants much money, and will not pay them: but also
the saide Besson hath spoken wordes of dishonour against the Queenes
Maiestie. Wherefore it may please his highnesse to send downe with me to
Colmogro, a Gentleman, as well chiefly to search foorth his euil behauiour
towards her Maiestie, as towards me her highnesse Ambassador, and to punish
him accordingly: and also that it would please his Maiestie to sende downe
his letter of iustice by vertue whereof the said Besson may be forced to
pay all such money as he oweth to the sayd merchants, without delay.
16 Also that it would please his highnesse to understand, that sir William
Garrard with his company vnderstanding of the great dearth in his Maiesties
dominions, by licence of the Queens Maiestie (not otherwise permitted) hath
sent certaine ships laden with corne into his highnesse Countrey of Dwyna,
rather for the reliefe of his Maiesties subiects then for any gaine: yet
the good will of the said merchants lightly regarded, they were forbidden
to sel the said corne, to their great discouragement hereafter to send any
more. Wherefore it may please his highnesse, to tender the good will of the
said merchants, as well in sending the saide corne, as in all other things,
ready to serue his Maiestie, and to direct his letters to his officers of
Dwina, to suffer the saide merchants with their company, to sell the said
corne by measure great or small at their pleasure, without paying custome.
These articles being deliuered to the chiefe Secretary, as aforesayde, and
our talke ended for that time. I departed to my lodging, accompanied with
certaine Gentlemen. The next day being the 13. of May aforesaid. I had
warning earely in the morning, to prepare my selfe to be at the Court,
betwixt the houres of 10. and 11. of the clocke, where I should haue
accesse unto the presence of the Prince, as well to receiue answere of all
things, as to bee dismissed to goe home. At which houres I was sent for to
the Court, and brought into the Chamber of presence, where his Maiestie did
sit apparelled most sumptuously, with a riche Crowne vpon his head,
garnisned with many precious stones, his eldest sonne sitting by him and
many of his Nobilitie about him: and after my duetie done, his highnesse
commanded me to approach very neere vnto him, and sayde vnto me these
words.
Anthony: the Queen our louing sister her letters wee haue caused to be
translated, and doe well vnderstand the same, and of, all things as well
therein contained, as by worde of mouth by you to vs declared wee haue well
considered, and doe perceiue that our secret message vnto you committed,
was done truely according to our minde (although wee were aduertised to the
contrary) and nowe wee are by you fully satisfied. [Sidenote: The causes of
the Emperors displeasure.] And when wee did sende our Ambassadour into
England, about those our great and waightie affaires to conclude the same
with the Queene our sister, our Ambassadour coulde ende nothing for want of
such assurance as was requisite in princely affaires, according to the
maner of all Countreys, but was dismissed vnto vs againe, with letters of
small effect, touching the same, and no Ambassadour sent with him from the
Queene: which caused vs to thinke that our princely affaires were set
aside, and little regarded, wherewith we were at that time much grieued:
for the which cause, and for the euil behauiour of your merchants, resident
in our dominions (who haue diuers wayes transgressed and broken our laws,
liuing wilfully in all their doings) we did lay our heauie displeasure vpon
them, and did take away from them their priuiledge, commaunding that the
same throughout all our dominions should be voyd, and of none effect: and
thereupon did write to the Queene our sister touching our griefes. And nowe
her highnesse hath sent vnto vs againe, you her Ambassadour, with her
louing letters and full minde, which we doe thankefully receiue, and are
thereby fully satisfied. And for that our princely, and secret affaires
were not finished to our contentation at our time appointed according to
our expectation, we doe now leaue of all these matters, and set them aside
for the time, because our minde is nowe otherwise changed, but hereafter
when occasion shall mooue vs to the like, wee will then talke of those
matters againe. And for that it hath pleased the Queene, our louing sister
to send vnto vs at this present, and doeth desire to continue in friendship
with vs for euer (which we doe gratefully accept, and willingly agree to
the same) wee of our goodnesse for her highnesse sake, will not onely from
hencefoorth put away, and forget all our displeasure towards the same Sir
William Garrard and his company (as though they had neuer offended vs) but
also will restore them to their priuiledges, and liberties, in, and
throughout all our dominions, and will signifie the same by our letter, in
all Townes and Cities, where the said merchants do traffique, as we will
showe them fauor as aforetime, if they do not deserue the contrary. And if
the Queene our sister had not sent thee Anthony vnto vs at this present,
God knoweth what we should haue done to the said merchants, or whether
would haue called back our indignation.
Then I humbly beseeched his Maiestie, to let me know the particular
offences committed by the said merchants, and the offendors names, to the
intent I might make report thereof vnto the Queenes Maiestie, my mistres,
accordingly, that the said offendors might receiue iust punishment for
their deserts:
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