The Queenes Commission under her great seale, to her servant master William Hareborne, to be her majesties Ambassadour or Agent, in the partes of Turkie. 1582.
ELIZABETH, by the clemencie of the most good and most
great God, the only creator and governour of all things,
Queene of England, France, and Ireland
, invincible, and
most mightie defender of the true faith, against all
Idolaters falsly professing the name of Christ, to all and
singuler persons, to whose sight and view these our present letters may come, greeting. Whereas the most
renowmed, and most invincible Prince Zuldan Murad Can,
the most mighty governour of the kingdom of Turkie, and
Monarch of the East Empire, hath entered into league and
friendship with us, (which we for our part, as much as
lieth in us, doe purpose solemnly, and inviolablie to keepe
in all times to come) and whereas for the better countenancing and authorizing of the same, the foresayd
renowmed Emperour hath graunted unto our subjects free
libertie of traffique, in all the partes of his sacred Empire,
with as ample and large a grant of privileges, as is given
to other good Princes our neighbours and confederates,
the grant of which privileges, we taking very thankfully,
and acceptably, are certainely, and throughly determined
to keepe and mainetaine, with the like goodnesse and
curtesie of minde, desiring nothing more, then with an
honourable respect to nourish, and deserve the benevolent
affections of good Princes toward us: Know ye, that wee
thinking well, and having good confidence in the singular
trustinesse, obedience, wisedome, and disposition of our
welbeloved servaunt William Hareborne, one of the
Esquiers of our body, towards us, and our service, doe
by these presents, make, ordaine and constitute him our
true and undoubted Orator, Messenger, Deputie, and
Agent. Giving and granting unto him power and
authoritie, in our name, and for us, to confirme the foresaid league of friendship, to take into his hands, and to
ratifie the grant of the privileges, and to commaund, and
enjoyne by the authoritie of our Majestie, all and singular
our Subjects trading and dealing in any of the coastes and
kingdomes of that Empire, that as long as they remaine
in traffique with his subjects, they be obedient to the
prescription and order of the foresayd privileges, applying
themselves in all things, and through all things, to such
dueties and services as appertaine to so great a league and
friendship, and the offenders agaynst this our league to
receive justice, and punishment accordingly. We further
give unto him power and authoritie over all and singuler
our Subjects, dealing, and using traffique in any place or
part whatsoever, subject to the governement of that
Empire, to appoint the places of their traffiques, in what
Haven or Citie it shall please him, and to prohibite them
from all other places, and wheresoever their traffiques are
appointed to bee kept, there to make and create Consuls
or Governours, to enact lawes and statutes, by the vertue
and tenor whereof all our foresayd subjects, and every
one of them, shall both publikely and privately use and
behave themselves, to correct and punish the breakers of
those lawes: and last of all, to doe and fulfill all and
singular things whatsoever, which shall seeme requisite
and convenient for the honest and orderly government of
our said subjects, and of the maner of their traffique in
those parts. Promising assuredly, and in the word of a
Prince, that whatsoever shall be done of our sayd Orator
and Agent, in all, or in any of the premisses, not repugnant and contrary to our lawes, shall be accepted, ratified,
and confirmed by us. In witnesse whereof, we have
caused these our letters to be made patents, and our
seale thereunto to be appensed. Given at our Castle of
Windsore, the 20. day of November, in the yeere of Christ
1582. and of our raigne the 24.