A letter written in Spanish by Sir Edward Osborne, to the king of Alger
, the 20. of July, 1584. in the behalfe of certaine English captives there detained.
RIGHT high and mightie king,
May it please your highnesse to understand, that the
most high and most mightie majestie of the Grand Signor
hath confirmed certaine articles of privileges with the most
excellent majestie of our Queene of England, that her
subjects may freely go and come, and traffique by sea
and land in the dominions of his most mighty majesty,
as appeareth more at large by ye said articles, whereof
we have sent the copy unto M. Joh. Tipton
our Commissarie, to shew the same unto your highnes. Against
the tenor of which articles, one of our ships which came
from Patras
which is in Morea
, laden with corants and
other merchandizes which were bought in those parts, was
sunke by 2. gallies of your citie of Alger
, and the greatest
number of the men thereof were slain and drowned in
the sea, the residue being detained as slaves: An acte
very contrary to the meaning of the aforesaid articles and
privileges: which is the occasion that by these presents
we beseech your highnesse very humbly, that since it hath
pleased the most mightie majestic of the Grand Signor
to favour us with the sayd privileges, it would please your
Highnesse in like maner to assist us in the same, graunting us by your authoritie, your ayde and favour, according
as our hope is, that these poore men so detained in captivitie, as is aforesaid, may be set at libertie, & returne
into their countrey. And likewise that your highnesse
would send to give order to the captaines, masters and
people of your gallies, that from hencefoorth they would
suffer us to use our traffique with sixe ships yerely into
Turkie unto the dominions of the Grand Signor in peace
and safetie, that they do not withstand those our said
privileges, every one of our foresaid ships carying with
them a passeport of his most high and most mightie
majestie to be knowen by. And for that your so singular
favour and curtesie which in so doing we shall receive,
we on our part with all bounden duetie unto your highnesse, will seeke to honour you in that behalfe, according
as the sayd master John Tipton (to whom wee referre our
selves touching all other circumstances) shall more at
large enforme your highnesse, whose most excellent
person and estate, we pray and beseech almighty God to
prosper and increase with all felicitie and honour. From
the Citie of London, the 20. of July, 1584.
At the service of your highnesse, for and in the
name of our whole company trading into
Turkie,
I Maior of London, Edward Osburne.