4: The Queen's letters to the Turk, 1584,...
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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.
And we again with all endeavour shall study to perform all those things
which we shall in any wise understand to be acceptable to your Imperial
Majesty, which God, the only Maker of the World, Most Best and Most
Great, long keep in health and flourishing. Given in our Palace at
London, the 5th day of the month of September, in the year of Jesus
Christ our Saviour 1584, and of our reign the twenty-sixth.
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