The Queenes Majesties letters to Shaugh Thamas the
great Sophi of Persia, sent by Arthur Edwards,
William Turnbull, Matthew Tailbois, and Peter
Gerard appointed Agents for the Moscovie companie,
in their sixt voyage to Persia, begun in the yeere
1579.
To the most noble and invincible Emperour of Persia,
King of Shirvan, Gilan
, Grosin, Corassan, and great
Governour of the Indies.
ELIZABETH by the grace of God Queene of England,
France and Ireland
, defender of the faith, &c. To the
most noble and invincible Emperour of Persia, King of
Shirvan, Gilan
, Grosin, Corassan, and great governour
even unto the Indies, sendeth greeting. Most noble and
invincible Prince, it is now tenne yeeres since, or thereabouts, wherein (after the honourable ambassade of the
noble man Anthony Jenkinson our welbeloved subject, to
your most noble and invincible father performed) we
laboured to bring to passe by Thomas Bannister and
Gefferey Ducket merchants, our subjects, that throughout
all the kingdomes subject to his empire, free power might
be given to Will. Garrard, Thomas Ofley, William Chester
knights, Rowland Haiward, Lionel Ducket, William
Allen, Thomas Bannister, Gefferey Ducket, Lawrence
Chapman Merchants, and unto their societie, to enter into
his lands and countreys at al times when they would and
could, there to exercise & use their trade of merchandise,
and from thence likewise after exchange or sale made of
those wares, which they should bring with them with his
like good leave and favour, to carie from thence those
things wherwith his dominions do abound & with us be
scant. Which our petition the most noble prince your
father took so thankfully and in such good part, that he
not onely graunted franke and commodious leave, as was
desired: but the same he would to bee unto them most
free and beneficiall, and to have continuance for many
yeeres and times. The benefite of the which his wonderfull liberality, our subjects did enjoy with such humanitie
& freedome as there could be no greater, till the time that
by reason of wars more and more increasing in those
partes, by the which our subjects were to make their
journey into Persia, they were debarred and shut from
that voyage & traffique. The which traffique the said
societie being eftsoones desirous to renew to the weale
and commoditie of both our dominions they have now
sent into Persia their factors & Agents Arthur Edwards,
William Turnbull, Matthew Tailbois, Peter Gerrard
merchants, with their associats, whom we beseech your
invincible majesty to entertaine with that favour wherewith your father did imbrace Tho. Bannister & Geffrey
Ducket, and to enfranchise their whole societie with that
freedome, that neither they through any their misdemeanours towards your subjects, may thereof seeme
unworthy (as we hope they will not) neither we our selves
otherwise enjoy them, then with the perpetuall remembrance of your good affection towards us, and with the
like favourable inclination of our part towards you. The
matter it selfe & tract of time shall sufficiently prove the
foresaid maner of traffike unprofitable to neither of us.
For so hath one God the chiefe governor of all things
disposed of our affaires on earth, that ech one should
need other. And as for our people & subjects of the
English nation, in verie deed your majesty shal find them
made and fashioned so pliant to the perfourmance of all
dueties of humanity, that it can never repent you to have
graunted them this franke traffike, nor shame us to have
obteined it for them at your hands. That therefore it
may please your majesty to yeeld unto them this at our
request, most earnestly we beseech you. And we (as it
wel beseemeth a prince) if ever hereafter we may, wil
shew our selfe not to bee unmindfull of so great a benefit.
We wish your majesty wel & prosperously to fare.
Given at our palace of Westminster
the 10. day of June,
in the yere of our Lord 1579. and of our reigne the 21.