He had
in speciall charge to sollicit her Maiesty to send ouer with him to his
maister an ambassador from her, to treat and contract of such affaires of
importance as concerned both the realmes, which was the principall end of
his imployments hither. 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 ambassadour was licenced to returne home to his maister,
being honorably entertained and rewarded, the English ambassador 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 ambassadour, 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 ambassador lodged himselfe at the abbey of S. Nicholas: and the
English ambassador was lodged and well intertained by the English
merchants, at their house at S. Nicholas, standing in an Island called Rose
Island.
The Russe ambassador hauing reposed himselfe one whole day, took his leaue
of the English ambassador, and departed towards Mosco.
The English ambassadour 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 ambassadors 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 assured 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 ambassador 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 ambassador: 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 ambassage, especially
in that point, for the barring of all strangers from trading into the
Emperors countrey.
This gentleman conducted the English ambassador 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 ambassador from the Emperor with two faire
geldings well furnished after their maner.
At a citie called Yeraslaue vpon the riuer Volga there met the ambassador 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.
Two miles on this side Mosco there met the ambassador foure gentlemen of
good account, accompanied with two hundred horse: who after a little
salutation, not familiar, without imbracing, tolde him that they had to say
to him from the Emperor, and would haue had him light on foot to haue heard
it, notwithstanding themselues would still haue sit on horsebacke: which
the ambassador soone refused to doe, and so they stood long vpon termes,
whether both parties should light or not: which afterwards agreed vpon,
there was yet great nicenesse whose foot should not be first on ground.
Their message being deliuered, and after hauing embraced ech other, they
conducted the sayd ambassador to his lodging at Mosco, a house builded of
purpose for him, themselues being placed in the next house to it, as
appointed to furnish him of all prouisions, and to be vsed by him vpon all
other occasions.
The ambassador hauing beene some dayes in Mosco, and hauing in all that
time bene very honorably vsed from the Emperor (for such was his will)
though some of his chiefest counsellors (as is sayd) had another purpose,
and did often times cunningly put it in vse:
