And They, The Said Englishmen, Finding Now Some
Opportunity, Concluded With The Christian Captives Which Were Going
With Them Unto
Constantinople, being in number about 150, to kill the
king's son and all the Turks which were aboard of the
Galley, and
privily the said Englishmen conveyed unto the said Christian captives
weapons for that purpose. And when they came into the main sea,
towards Constantinople (upon the faithful promise of the said Christian
captives) these four Englishmen leapt suddenly into the crossia - that
is, into the middest of the galley, where the cannon lieth - and with
their swords drawn, did fight against all the foresaid Turks, and for
want of help of the said Christian captives, who falsely brake their
promises, the said Master Blonket's boy was killed and the said James
Smith, and our purser Richard Burges, and the other Englishmen were
taken and bound into chains, to be hanged at their arrival in
Constantinople. And, as the Lord's will was, about two days after,
passing through the Gulf of Venice, at an island called Cephalonia,
they met with two of the Duke of Venice, his galleys, which took that
galley, and killed the king's son and his mother, and all the Turks
that were there, in number 150, and they saved the Christian captives;
and would have killed the two Englishmen, because they were circumcised
and become Turks, had not the other Christian captives excused them,
saying that they were enforced to be Turks by the king's son, and
showed the Venetians how they did enterprise at sea to fight against
all the Turks, and that their two fellows were slain in that fight.
Then the Venetians saved them, and they, with all the residue of the
said captives, had their liberty, which were in number 150 or
thereabouts, and the said galley and all the Turks' treasure was
confiscated to the use of the State of Venice. And from thence our two
Englishmen travelled homeward by land, and in this meantime we had one
more of our company which died in Zante, and afterwards the other eight
shipped themselves at Zante in a ship of the said Marcus Segoorus which
was bound for England. And before we departed thence, there arrived
the Ascension and the George Bonaventure of London, in Cephalonia, in a
harbour there called Arrogostoria, whose merchants agreed with the
merchants of our ship, and so laded all the merchandise of our ship
into the said ships of London, who took us eight also in as passengers,
and so we came home. And within two months after our arrival at London
our said purser Richard Burges, and his fellow, came home also, for the
which we are bound to praise Almighty God during our lives, and, as
duty bindeth us, to pray for the preservation of our most gracious
Queen, for the great care her Majesty had over us, her poor subjects,
in seeking and procuring of our deliverance aforesaid, and also for her
Honourable Privy Council; and I especially for the prosperity and good
estate of the house of the late deceased, the Right Honourable the Earl
of Bedford, whose honour I must confess most diligently, at the suit of
my father now departed, travailed herein - for the which I rest
continually bounden to him, whose soul I doubt not but already is in
the heavens in joy, with the Almighty, unto which place He vouchsafed
to bring us all, that for our sins suffered most vile and shameful
death upon the cross, there to live perpetually world without end.
Amen.
THE QUEEN'S LETTERS TO THE TURK, 1584, FOR THE RESTITUTION OF THE SHIP,
CALLED THE JESUS, AND THE ENGLISH CAPTIVES DETAINED IN TRIPOLIS, IN
BARBARY, AND FOR CERTAIN OTHER PRISONERS IN ALGIERS.
Elizabeth, by the grace of the Most High God and only Maker of Heaven
and Earth, of England, France, and Ireland Queen, and of the Christian
faith, against all the idolaters and false professors of the name of
Christ dwelling among the Christians, most invincible and puissant
Defender; to the most valiant and invincible Prince, Sultan Murad Can,
the most mighty ruler of the Kingdom of Mussulman and of the East
Empire, the only and highest monarch above all, health and many happy
and fortunate years, with great abundance of the best things.
Most noble and puissant Emperor, about two years now past, we wrote
unto your Imperial Majesty that our well-beloved servant, William
Harebrown, a man of great reputation and honour, might be received
under your high authority for our ambassador in Constantinople and
other places, under the obedience of your Empire of Mussulman; and also
that the Englishmen being our subjects might exercise intercourse and
merchandise in all those provinces no less freely than the French,
Polonians, Venetians, Germans, and other your confederates, which
travel through divers of the East parts endeavouring that by mutual
traffic the East may be joined and knit to the West.
Which privileges, when as your most puissant Majesty by your letters
and under your dispensation most liberally and favourably granted to
our subjects of England, we could no less do but in that respect give
you as great thanks as our heart could conceive, trusting that it will
come to pass that this order of traffic so well ordained will bring
with itself most great profits and commodities to both sides, as well
to the parties subject to your Empire as to the provinces of our
Kingdom.
Which thing, that it may be done in plain and effectual manner, whereas
some of our subjects of late at Tripolis in Barbary, and at Algiers,
were by the inhabitants of those places (being perhaps ignorant of your
pleasure) evil intreated and grievously vexed, we do friendly and
lovingly desire your Imperial Majesty that you will understand their
causes by our ambassador, and afterward give commandment to the
lieutenants and presidents of those provinces, that our people may
henceforth freely, without any violence or injury, travel and do their
business in those places.
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