Europe - The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques And Discoveries Of The English Nation - Volume 4 - Collected By Richard Hakluyt
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They Rehearsed The Long Stile And Maiesty Of Their Master, With His Most
Friendly And Hearty Commendations To Her Highnesse, And Then They Testified
The Singuler Great Ioy And Pleasure That He Conceiued To Heare Of Her Most
Princely Estate, Dignitie And Health:
And lastly, they deliuered their
letters and presents.
The presents sent vnto her Maiesty were Sables, both
in paires for tippets, and two timbars, to wit, two times fortie, with
Luserns and other rich furres. [Sidenote: The vse of furres wholesome,
delicate, graue and comely.] For at that time that princely ancient
ornament of furres was yet in vse. And great pitie but that it might be
renewed, especiall in Court, and among Magistrates, not onely for the
restoring of an olde worshipfull Art and Companie, but also because they be
for our climate wholesome, delicate, graue and comely: expressing dignitie,
comforting age, and of longer continuance, and better with small cost to be
preserued, then these new silks, shagges, and ragges, wherein a great part
of the wealth of the land is hastily consumed.
These ambassadours were appointed lodging and enterteinement by the
Moscouie company at their house then in Seething Lane, and were sundrie
times after permitted to be in presence. And in May 1568 tooke their leaue
at Greenwich, where they vnderstood and had the Queenes Maiesties minde,
letters and reward. [Sidenote: The trade to S. Nicholas offensiue to diuers
princes and states Eastward.] At the latter part of her talke, her
Highnesse considering that our trade to Saint Nicholas since the beginning
had bene offensiue to diuers princes, states, and merchants Eastward vsed
these speeches or the like: Who is or shall be more touched by detractours,
with flying tales and vntrue reports, then Princes and Rulers, to the
breach of loue and vnitie? your Master and I in things that passe by word
and writing, I doubt not will keepe and performe promises. If he heare the
contrary of me, let him suspend his iudgement, and not be light of credit,
and so will I. These words they termed her Maiesties golden speech: and
kneeling downe, kissed her hand, and departed.
The letters that these two messengers brought, were deliuered to me by my
Lord Treasurour, being then Secretarie, to be translated, the copies
whereof I had, but now cannot finde. The copie of the Queenes Maiesties
letter I send inclosed herewith vnto your worship. I also haue sent you a
copy of a letter written from the king of Polonia to the Queenes Maiestie,
with other letters from some of our nation and factours, declaring the
displeasure for our trafficke to the Russes from Anno 1558 to the yere
1566, especially by the way of the Narue: in which yere of 1566, hauing
generall procuration and commission from the Company, I was in the Low
countrey at Antwerpe and Amsterdam, and sometimes in company with Polacks,
Danskers, and Easterlings: and by, reason I had bene a lidger in Russia, I
could the better reply and proue, that their owne nations and the Italians
were most guiltie of the accusations written by the king of Poland.
This king Sigismundus [Footnote: Sigismund II, the last of the Jagellon
race, added Livonia to his kingdom. He reigned from 1548 to 1572. It was
after his death that the King of Poland became an elective instead of an
heritary sovereign.] (whose ambassadours very sumptuous I haue seene at
Mosco) was reported to be too milde in suffering the Moscouites. [Sidenote:
Smolensko won by the Russe.] Before our trafficke they ouerranne his great
dukedome of Lituania, and tooke Smolensco, carrying the people captiues to
Mosco. [Sidenote: Polotzko taken.] And in the yere 1563, as appeareth by
Thomas Alcocks letter, they suffered the Russe likewise in that Duchy to
take a principall city called Polotzko, with the lord and people thereof.
Likewise the said Sigismundus and the king of Sweden did not looke to the
protection of Liuonia, but lost all, except Rie and Reuel, and the Russe
made the Narue his port to trafficke, not onely to vs, but to Lubec and
others, generall. And still from those parts the Moscouites were furnished
out of Dutchland by enterlopers with all arts and artificers, and had few
or none by vs. The Italians also furnished them with engines of warre, and
taught them warrelike stratagemes, and the arte of fortification. In the
dayes of Sigismund the Russe would tant the Polacks, that they loued their
ease at home with their wiues, and to drinke, and were not at commandement
of their king. This Sigismund had to wife the daughter of Ferdinando,
Charles the fifts brother, and he died without issue. [Sidenote: Polotzko
recouered by Stephanus Batore.] Since, which time their late elected king
Stephanus Batore [Footnote: Stephen Bathore, the second Elected-King,
established the Cossacks as a militia. He died in 1586.] kept the Russe in
better order, and recouered Polotzko againe in the yere 1579. Thus with my
hearty farewell I take my leaue of your worship.
Your assured friend Henrie Lane.
* * * * *
A Letter of the most excellent Maiestie of Queene Elizabeth, sent by
Stephen Twerdico and Pheodata Pogorella, messengers of the Emperour of
Russia, vnto their Master the 9th of May 1568.
Imperatori Moscouitarum, &c.
ELIZABETHA &c. Literas vestrae, Maiestatis superiori anno 1567, decimo die
mensis Aprilis datas, vestri mercatores Stephanus Twerdico, et Pheodata
Pogorella, qui has nostras perferunt, nobis tradidere. Quos vestros
mercatores in omni suo apud nos et nostros obeundo negotio, ita tractari,
et libenti voluntate, et expresso nostro mandato curauimus, vt non solum
vestrae Maiestatis pro illis postulationi, sed eorundem etiam hominum
expectationi plene satisfactum esse confidamus. Id quod eo fecimus
studiosius, quod plane perspectum, probeque cognitum habeamus, nostros
omnes, qui bona cum gratia nostra, nostrarumque literarum commendatione,
istuc, sub vestro imperio negotiaturi veniunt, pari, cum vestrae Maiestatis
fauore, tum vestrorum subditorum humanitate, vbiuis acceptos esse. Quae
nostra vtrobique, et muttuae inter nos amicitiae et gratae inter nostros
beneuolentiae officia, vt crebra et perpetua existant, nos admodum
postulamus.
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