From Our
Palace In Constantinople, The Prime Of June, 1584.
THE TURK'S LETTER TO THE KING OF TRIPOLIS, IN BARBARY, COMMANDING THE
RESTITUTION OF AN ENGLISH SHIP, CALLED THE JESUS, WITH THE MEN AND
GOODS, SENT FROM CONSTANTINOPLE BY MAHOMET BEG, A JUSTICE OF THE GREAT
TURK'S, AND AN ENGLISH GENTLEMAN, CALLED MASTER EDWARD BARTON.
ANNO
1584.
Honourable and most worthy Pasha Romadan Beglerbeg, most wise and
prudent judge of the West Tripolis, we wish the end of all thy
enterprises happy and prosperous. By these our Highness's letters we
certify thee that the Right Honourable William Harebrowne, Ambassador
in our most famous porch for the most excellent Queen's Majesty of
England, in person and by letters hath certified our Highness that a
certain ship, with all her furniture and artillery, worth two thousand
ducats, arriving in the port of Tripolis, and discharged of her lading
and merchandise, paid our custom according to order, and again the
merchants laded their ship with oil, which by constraint they were
enforced to buy of you, and having answered in like manner the custom
for the same, determined to depart. A Frenchman, assistant to the
merchant, unknown to the Englishmen, carried away with him another
Frenchman indebted to a certain Moor in four hundred ducats, and by
force caused the Englishmen and ship to depart, who, neither suspecting
fraud nor deceit, hoisted sails. In the meantime, this man, whose
debtor the Frenchman had stolen away, went to the Pasha with a
supplication, by whose means, and force of the Castle, the Englishmen
were constrained to return into the port, where the Frenchman, author
of the evil, with the master of the ship, an Englishman, innocent of
the crime, were hanged, and five-and-twenty Englishmen cast into
prison, of whom, through famine and thirst, and stink of the prison,
eleven died, and the rest were like to die. Further, it was signified
to our Majesty also that the merchandise and other goods with the ship
were worth seven thousand six hundred ducats. Which things, if they be
so, this is our commandment, which was granted and given by our
Majesty, that the English ship, and all the merchandise, and whatsoever
else was taken away, be wholly restored, and that the Englishmen be let
go free, and suffered to return into their country. Wherefore, when
this our commandment shall come unto thee, we straightly command that
the foresaid business be diligently looked unto and discharged. And if
it be so that a Frenchman, and no Englishman, hath done this craft and
wickedness, unknown to the Englishmen, and, as author of the
wickedness, is punished, and that the Englishmen committed nothing
against the peace and league, or their articles; also, if they paid
custom according to order, it is against law, custom of countries, and
their privilege, to hinder or hurt them. Neither is it meet their
ship, merchandise, and all their goods taken should be withholden. We
will, therefore, that the English ship, merchandise, and all other
their goods, without exception, be restored to the Englishmen; also,
that the men be let go free, and, if they will, let none hinder them to
return peaceably into their country; do not commit that they another
time complain of this matter, and how this business is despatched
certify us at our most famous porch.
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