The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation Volume Iv Part 20

[Sidenote: Berozoua Vstia.] 8 Item, if you shall vnderstand as you are outwards bound, that the enemie is gone before you to S. Nicholas, remember what aduice hath bene giuen you for your stay at Berozoua Vstia, till you haue by espials viewed and vnderstood the forces, and the manner of their abode at that place.

9 And if in the sea either outwards or homewards, or in the time of your abode at anker at Saint Nicholas, you shall be a.s.saulted by force of any, as enemie whatsoeuer, you are to defend your selues with such forces as you may or can: trust not too farre, neither giue place to inconuenience.

10 You will not forget what conference we had touching your pa.s.sing outwards bound by Wardhouse, to view and vnderstand what you can at that place, and to shew your selues, to see if there be any there that haue a mind to speake with you, for that we thinke it better then, and thereabout, then afterwards or els where.

11 While you shall remaine in the road at S. Nicholas, be circ.u.mspect and carefull to haue your ships in readinesse and in good order alwaies, and vpon all suddens. The greatest danger vnto you in that place will be while you shall shift your ships: therefore you are to consider of it, but the fittest time for you to doe the same, will bee when the winde is Southerly off the sh.o.r.e, or calme, and at such time you may the better doe it without danger. You must take such order among you, that your companies may be alwaies willing and ready to help one the other, and appoint among your selues such ships to shift first, and such after, in such sort and forme as you shall thinke best and most conuenient. And while they shall be in discharging, shifting, and lading, let the rest of your companies which haue not then to doe in lading or discharging, helpe those ships that shall haue labour to doe, as well for carying the barkes from ships to the sh.o.a.re, or from sh.o.r.e to the shippe: with your boates, as also for any other helpe that they shall haue need of.

12 Remember what hath bene said vnto you touching the moring of your ships, &c. for vsing aduantage against the enemie, if you shall be a.s.saulted in that place.

13 See that you serue G.o.d, abolish swearing and gaming, be carefull of fire and candles, &c.

14 You are to consult and agree among your selues vpon signes, tokens, and good orders for the better keeping of company together, and also the maner how and by what meanes, rescue, ayde, or helpe may be giuen by one to the other in fight, if you happen to come to it.

Thus we pray G.o.d to send you a prosperous voyage and safe returne.

The opinion of Master William Burrough sent to a friend, requiring his iudgment for the fittest time of the departure of our ships towards S.

Nicholas in Russia.

Whereas you request me to perswade the company not to send their shippes from hence before the fine of May, I do not thinke the same so good a course for them to obserue; for you know that the sooner wee sende them hence, the sooner we may looke for their returne. [Sidenote: The Russian fleet best to be set forth in the beginning of May.] If wee sende them in the beginning of May, then may they be at Saint Nicholas by the fine of the same moneth: and by that time the greatest parte of your lading of necessitie must bee downe, especially the flaxe: but if it should fall out so lateward a breaking vp of the riuer of Duyna, that by the ende of May the goods cannot be brought to Saint Nicholas, yet this is alwayes to be accounted for certaine, that before our ships can come thither, the goods may be brought downe to that place: and if through ice the shippes be kept backe any time, the losse and charge of that time toucheth not the companie at all, but the owners of the shippes, and yet will the Owners put that in aduenture, rather than tarie longer time before their going hence.

Now seeing by sending our shippes hence in the beginning of May, their arriuall at S. Nicholas may be at the ende of the same moneth, and remaining thirtie dayes there, they may bee laden and come thence by the last of Iune, and returne home hither by the 10 of August with commodities to serue the market then, it cannot bee denied but we should reape thereby great commoditie.

But it may he obiected, that if all our shippes be sent then to returne as aforesaid, you shall not be able to send vs in so much cordage, Waxe and Oyles, as otherwise you should doe if they remained a moneth longer, neither could you by that time perfect your accounts to be sent in them as you would doe.

For answere thereunto this is my meaning: though I wish the greatest part of our shipping to go as aforesaid, yet would I haue one good ship or two at the most well furnished in al points that should depart alwaies from hence, betweene the beginning and the 10 day of Iune: and the same to be conditioned withall to remaine at S. Nicholas from the first arriuall there vntill the middest of August, or to be despatched thence sooner, at the will and liking of our factors for the same: by this order these commodities following may ensue.

1 You may haue our commodities there timely to send vp the riuer before it waxe shallow, to be dispersed in the countrey at your pleasure.

2 The greatest part of our goods may be returned thither timely to serue the first markets.

3 Our late ships remaining so long here may serue to good purpose, for returning answere of such letters as may he sent ouer land, and receiued here before their departure.

4 Their remaining so late with you shal satisfie your desire for perfecting your accounts, and may bring such cordage, Waxe, Oile, and other commodities, as you can prouide before that time: and chiefly may serue vs in stead to bring home our goods that may be sent vs from Persia.

Now seeing it may be so many wayes commodious to the commpany to obserue this order, without any charge vnto them, I wish that you put to your helping hand to further the same.

A copie of the Commission giuen to Sir Ierome Bowes, authorizing him her Maiesties Amba.s.sadour vnto the Emperour of Russia, Anno 1583.

ELIZABETHA, Dei gratia, Angliae, Franciae, et Hyberniae Regina, fidei defensatrix, &c. Vniuersis et singulis praesentes literas visuris et inspecturis, salutem. c.u.m Serenissimus Princeps, Ioannes Basilius, Rex, et magnus Dux Russiae, Volodimerae, Moscouiae, et Nouogrodiae, Rex Cazani, et Astracani, Dominus Plescoae, et magnus Dux Smolenscoae, Tueri, Vgori; Permiae, Valeae, Bolharae, et aliarum ditionum: Dominus et magnus Dux Nouogrodiae in inferiori regione Chernigae, Rezanae, Poletscoae, Ratsauie, Yeraslaue, Bealozeri, Liflandiae, Oudori, et Condensae, et gubernator in tota prouincia Siberiae, et partium Septentrionalium, et aliarum, frater, et Amicus charissimus, n.o.bilem virum, Feodor Andrewich Spisemski, nuper ad nos ablegauerit, ad certa quaedam negotia n.o.bisc.u.m agenda, quae honorem vtrinque nostrum quam proxime attingunt, quaeque recte definiri concludique nequeunt nisi Amba.s.siatorem aliquem et oratorem ad praefatum serenissimum principem amandauerimus: Hinc est, qud nos de fidelitate, industria, prouida circ.u.mspectione, et satis magno rerum vsu, praedilecti n.o.bis famuli nostri, Hieronimi Bowes Militis, ex n.o.bilibus domesticis nostris vnius, plurimum confidentes, praefatum Hieronimum Bowes Militem, nostrum verum et indubitatum Amba.s.siatorem, Oratorem, et Commissarium specialem facimus, et const.i.tuimus per praesentes. Dantes, et concedentes eidem Hieronimo Bowes Militi oratori nostro tenore praesentium, authoritatem, et mandatum, tam generale, quam speciate, ita qud specialitas non deroget generalitati, nec e contra generalitas specialitati, nomine nostro, et pro n.o.bis, c.u.m praefato serenissimo principe, eiusque consiliarijs, et deputatis quibuscunque de praefatis negotijs et eorum singulis, tractandi, conferendi, concludendi appunctuandique, prout praefato Oratori nostro aequum, et ex honore nostro videbitur: Nec non de, et super huiusmodi tractatis, conclusis, appunctuatisque, caeterisque omnibus et singulis, praemissa quouismodo concernentibus, literas, et instrumenta valida et efficacia, nomine nostro, et pro n.o.bis tradendi, literasque et instrumenta consimilis vigoris et effectus, ex altera parte petendi, et confici, et sigillari debite procurandi, et recipiendi, et generaliter omnia, et singula praemissa qualitercunque concernentia, faciendi, exercendi, et expediendi, in, et eodem modo, sicut nos ipsi faceremus, et facere possemus, si essemus praesentes, etiamsi talia sint, quae de se mandatum exigant magis speciale; promittentes bona fide, et in verbo Regio, omnia et singula, quae per praedictum Amba.s.siatorem, et oratorem nostrum appunctuata, promissa.

conuenta, concordata, et conclusa fuerint in hac parte, nos rata et grata, et firma habituras et obseruaturas, et superinde literas nostras patentes confirmatorias, et approbatortias in forma valida, et autentica, prout opus fuerit, daturas. In cuius rei testimonium, his praesentibus manu nostra signatis, magnum sigillum nostrum regni nostri Angleiae apponi fecimus. Datae e Regia nostra Grenwici quinto die mensis Iunij, Anno Dom. 1583. Regni ver nostri vicessimo quinto.

The same in English.

Elizabeth by the grace of G.o.d, Queene of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. to al and singular, to whom these presents shal come to be seen and red, greeting. Whereas the most excellent prince Iohn Basiliwich king, and great duke of all Russia, Volodomer, Moscouie, and Nouogrod, king of Cazan and Astracan, lord of Plesco, and great duke of Smolensco, of Tuer, Vgor, and Permia, Valca, Bolhar and others, lord great duke of Nouogrod in the low country, of Cherniga, Rezan, Polotsco, Rostoue, Yeraslaue, Bealozera, Liefland, Oudor, and Condensa, and gouernour of al the land of Siberia, and of the North parts and other, our most deare brother and friend, did of late send vnto vs one Feodor Andrewich Spisemsky, a n.o.ble man of his, to deale with vs in certaine speciall businesses, respecting very neerely the honour of either of vs, and being such as without the speeding of some Amba.s.sadour of ours to the aforesaid most excellent prince, cannot be sufficiently determined and concluded: For this cause we hauing great confidence in the fidelitie, industrie, prouident circ.u.mspection and conuenient experience of our welbeloued seruant Ierome Bowes, knight, & gentleman of qualitie of our householde, do by these presents make and const.i.tute the foresaid Ierome Bowes knight our true and undoubted Amba.s.sadour, Orator and special commisioner, giuing and graunting to the same Ierome Bowes knight, our Orator, by the vertue of these presents authoritie and commandment, as wel general as special, so that the special shall not preiudice the generall, nor on the other side the general the special to, intreat, conferre, conclude, and appoint in our name, and for us with the foresaid most excellent prince and his counsellers and deputies whatsoeuer, concerning the foresaid businesses, and ech of them, according as it shall seeme good, and for our honour to our foresaid Orator, as also of and vpon such things intreated, concluded and appointed, as in all and singular other things, any maner of way concerning the premisses, to deliuer in our name and for vs, sufficient and effectual letters and instruments and to require letters and instruments, of the like validitie and effect of the other part, and to procure them lawfully to bee made and sealed and then to receiue them, and generally to doe, execute, and dispatch al and singular other things concerning the premisses, in, and after the same maner, as we our selues would and might do if we were present, although they be such things as may seeme of themselues to require a more speciall commandement: promising in good faith and in the word of a prince, that we will hold and obserue all and singular the things which by our Amba.s.sador aforesayd shall be appointed, promised, agreed, accorded and concluded in this behalfe; as lawfull, gratefull, and firme, and thereupon as need shall require, will giue our letters patents, confirmatory and approbatory, in forme effectuall and autenticall. In witnesse whereof, we haue caused our great seale of our kingdome of England to be put to these presents, and signed them with our owne hand.

Giuen at our pallace of Greenewich the fourth day of Iune, in the yeere of our Lord 1583, and of our reigne the fiue and twentieth.

A letter sent from her Highnesse to the sayd great Duke of Russia, by sir Hierome Bowes aforesayd, her Maiesties Amba.s.sadour.

Serenissimo Principo ac Domino, Ioanni Basilio, Dei gratia Regi et magno Duci totius Russiae, Volodomene, &c. Regi Cazani, &c. Domino Plescoae, &c.

Domino et magno Duci Nouogrodiae &c. et Gubernatori in tota Prouincia Siberiae; &c. Fratri et amico nostro charissimo.

ELIZABETHA, Dei gratia Angliae Franciae, et Hiberniae Regina, fidei defensatrix, &c. Serenissimo Principi ac Domino, Ioanni Basilio, eadem Dei gratia Regi et magno Duci totius Russiae, Volodomerae, Moscouiae, et Nouogrodiae, Regi Cazani et Astracani, Domino Plescoae; et magno Duci Smolenscoae, Tueri, Vgori, Permiae, Viatskae, Bolharae, et aliarum ditionum, Domino et magno Duci Nouogrodiae in inferiori regione, Chernigae, Rezanae, Polotscoae, Rostouae, Iaroslauae, Bealozeri, Liflandiae, Oudori et Condensae, et Gubernatori in tota prouincia Siberiae, et partium Septentrionalium, et aliarum, fratri, et amico suo charissimo, Salutem.

Serenissime princeps; frater et amice charissime, ex ijs que n.o.bisc.u.m egit S. V. ill.u.s.tris legatus, intelleximus, quam grate vobis faceremus satis, si legatum aliquem c.u.m mandatis instructum, ad S. V. ablegaremus. In quo certe quidem inst.i.tuto ade n.o.bis ex animo placuit, quod est honeste postulatum, vt non nisi praest.i.ta re, possemus n.o.bis quoquo modo satisfacere. Atque c.u.m id haberemus apud nos decretum, n.o.bis non incommode incurrit in mentem et oculos Hieronimus Bowes miles, ex n.o.bilibus nostris Domesticis, plurimum n.o.bis dilectus, quem, inpraesentiarum ad S. V. ablegamus, cuius prudentiae et fidei, totum hoc quicquid est, quod ad Serenitatum mutu nostrarum dignitatem omandam pertinere posse arbitramur, commisimus. In quo munere perfungendo, quin omnem curam et diligentiam sit collaturus, neutiquam dubitamus: a S. autem V. rogamus, velit ei eam fidem habere in ijs persequendis quae habet a n.o.bis in mandatis, quam n.o.bis habendam putaret, si essemus praesentes. Praeterea, c.u.m n.o.bis multum charus sit Robertus Iacobus medicus, quem superiori [Marginal note: 1582.] anno, ad S. V. misimus, rogamus vt eum eo loco S. V. habeat, quo virum probatissimum, et singulari quam plurimarum virtutum laude ornatum habendum esse, boni principes censent. Quem a n.o.bis neutiquam ablegauissemus, nisi amicitiae nostrae, et studio gratificandi S. V. plurimum tribuissemus. In qua dum voluntate manemus erga S. V. non nisi optime de bonis vestris meritis in praefatum Iacob.u.m n.o.bis pollicemur. Et Deum Opt. Max. precamur, vt S. V. saluam conseruet, et incolumem. Datae e Regia nostra Grenouici 19 die mensis Iunij, Anno Domini 1583, regni ver nostri vicessimo quinto.

S. vestra bona soror.

The same in English.

Elizabeth by the grace of G.o.d, Queene of England, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith &c. to the most excellent Prince and Lord, Iohn Basiliwich, by the same grace of G.o.d, King and great Duke of all Russia, Volodomer, Moscouie, and Nouogrod, King of Cazan and Astracan, Lord of Plesco, and great Duke of Smolensco, of Tuer, Vgor, and Permie, Viatsca, Bolhar, and others, Lord and great Duke of Nouogrod in the lowe countrey, of Cherniga, Rezan, Polotsko, Rostoue, Iaroslaue, Bealozera, Lifland, Oudor, Obdor, and Condensa, and Gouernour of all the land of Siberia, and of the North, parts and others, her dearest brother and friend, Salutations.

Most excellent Prince, most deare brother and friend, by those things which the worthy amba.s.sador of your excellency declared vnto vs, we haue vnderstood how kindly it would be taken, if we should send to your excellency an amba.s.sador from vs, with commandement and instructions. In which matter your honourable request hath so much pleased vs, that we could not any maner of way satisfie our selues, except we performed the same. And hauing purposed with our selfe so to doe, we thought of, and remembred Ierome Bowes Knight, a gentleman of qualitie of our householde, a man very much beloued of vs, whom at this present we send vnto your Maiesty, and to whose wisdome and faithfulnesse we haue committed all, whatsoeuer we take to apperteine to the aduancement of both our honors indifferently. In the discharge of which seruice, we doubt not but that all care and diligence shall be vsed on his part, so that we intreat your Maiesty to giue him credence in the prosecuting of those things which he hath from vs in commandement, no lesse then to our selfe, if we were present. [Sidenote: Doctor Iacob.] And whereas Robert Iacob doctor of physicke is a man very deare vuto vs, whom, the last yere we sent vnto your excellency, we desire that he may haue that fauor and estimation with you, which good, princes thinke a most honest and vertuous man woorthy of: for had we not caried great respect to our mutual friendship, and indeuour to gratifie your Maiestie, we should in no case haue parted with him. And seeing we continue still the same, good will towards your excellency, we doe euen promise to our selfe your honourable kindnesses towards him: and we pray the almightie G.o.d to preserue your Maiesty in good, safetie and health. Giuen at our pallace of Greenewich the 19 day of Iune, in the yere of our Lord 1583, and of our reigne the fiue and twentieth.

Your Maiesties good sister.

A briefe discourse of the voyage of Sir Ierome Bowes knight, her Maiesties amba.s.sadour to Iuan Vasiliuich the Emperour of Moscouia, in the yeere 1583.

[Sidenote: Pheodor Andreuich Phisemsky the Emperors amba.s.sadour.] The Emperour of Russia that then liued, by name Iuan Vasiliwich, hauing deliberately considered how necessary it were for the strengthening of his estate, and that a sure commerce and entercourse of merchants should be againe renued betweene him and her sacred Maiesty of England, with such further immunities and priuileges for the honor and vtility of both their dominions, and subiects of the same, as with mutuall treatie of persons interposed on both sides, might be a.s.serted vnto: sent ouer into this realme, in the yeere of our Lord 1582, as his amba.s.sadour for that purpose, an ancient discreet gentleman of his householde called Pheodor Andreuich Phisemsky, accompanied with one of his Secretaries, for his better a.s.sistance in that expedition: and besides his many other directions, whereof part were to be deliuered by word of mouth, and the rest set downe in a letter vnder the Emperours signature, addressed to her Maiesty: he had in speciall charge to sollicit her Maiesty to send ouer with him to his maister an amba.s.sador from her, to treat and contract of such affaires of importance as concerned both the realmes, which was the princ.i.p.all end of his imployments. .h.i.ther. Whereupon her Maiesty very graciously inclining to the Emperors motion, and at the humble sute of the English merchants trading those countreys being caried with the same princely respects, to satisfie his demands in that behalfe, made choice of sir Ierome Bowes, a gentleman of her Court, ordinarily attending vpon her Maiesties person, towards whom was apparantly expressed her princely opinion and fauor by the credit of this negociation.

After he had receiued his commission, with other speciall letters to the Emperor, with all other instructions apperteining to his charge, and that the sayd Russe amba.s.sadour was licenced to returne home to his maister, being honorably entertained and rewarded, the English amba.s.sador being attended upon with forty persons at the least, very honourably furnished, whereof many were gentlemen, and one M. Humfrey Cole a learned preacher, tooke his leaue of her Maiesty at the Court at Greenwich the eighteenth of Iune, and with the other amba.s.sadour, with their seuerall companies, embarked themselues at Harwich the two and twentieth of the same, and after a stormy voyage at the Sea, they arriued both in safety in the road of S.

Nicholas the three and twentieth of Iuly next following.

The Russe amba.s.sador lodged himselfe at the abbey of S. Nicholas: and the English amba.s.sador was lodged and well intertained by the English merchants, at their house at S. Nicholas, standing in an Island called Rose Island.

The Russe amba.s.sador hauing reposed himselfe one whole day, took his leaue of the English amba.s.sador, and departed towards Mosco.

The English amba.s.sadour abode yet at S. Nicholas four or fiue dayes, when hauing made prouision of boats, and meanes to that purpose, he went forward vpon his iourney; towards Mosco, to a towne called Colmogro, about foure score miles distant from S. Nicholas.

[Sidenote: The Hollanders intrude into our trade.] You must here vnderstand that before the English amba.s.sadors going into Russia, there were diuers strangers, but especially certaine Dutch merchants, who had intruded themselues to trade into those countreys. Notwithstanding a priuilege of the sole trade thither was long before granted to the English merchants.

These Dutch men had already so handled the matter, as they had by chargeable meanes woone three of the chiefest counsellors to the Emperour to be their a.s.sured friends, namely, Mekita Romanouich, Bodan Belskoy, and Andrew Shalkan the chancellor: for besides dayly gifts that they bestowed vpon them all, they tooke so much money of theirs at interest at fiue and twenty vpon the hundred, as they payed to some one of them fiue thousand marks yeerely for the vse of his money, and the English merchants at that time had not one friend in Court.

The amba.s.sador hauing now spent fiue weeks at S. Nicholas, and at Colmogro, there came to him then a gentleman sent from the Emperor to enterteine him, and had in charge to conduct him vp the riuers towards Mosco, and to deliuer him prouision of all kinde of victuals necessary.

This gentleman being a follower of Shalkan the chancellor, was by him (as it seemed) foisted into that seruice of purpose, as afterward appeared by the course he tooke, to offer discourtesies, and occasions of mislike to the amba.s.sador: for you must vnderstand that the chancellor and the other two great counsellors (spoken of as friends to the Dutchmen) had a purpose to oppose themselues directly against her Maiesties amba.s.sage, especially in that point, for the barring of all strangers from trading into the Emperors countrey.

This gentleman conducted the English amba.s.sador a thousand miles vp the riuers of Dwina and Soughana, to a citie called Vologda, where receiued him another gentleman sent from the Emperor, a man of better countenance then the other, who presented the amba.s.sador from the Emperor with two faire geldings well furnished after their maner.

At a citie called Yeraslaue vpon the riuer Volga there met the amba.s.sador a duke well accompanied, sent from the Emperor, who presented him from the Emperor a coach and ten geldings tor the more easie conueying of him to Mosco, from whence this citie was distant fiue hundred miles.