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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.

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Tipton (United Kingdom) (1)
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July, 1584 AD (2)
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