A remembrance given by us the Governours, Consuls, and Assistants of the company of Merchants trading into Russia , the eight day of May 1561, to our trustie friend Anthonie Jenkinson, at his departure towards Russia , and so to Persia, in this our eight journey.
FIRST you shall understand that we have laden in our good ship, called the Swallow, one Chest, the keyes whereof we doe heere deliver you, and also a bill, wherein are written particularly the contents in the sayd Chest, and what every thing did cost: and because, as you know, the sayd Chest is of charge, we desire you to have a speciall regard unto it, and when God shall send you unto Mosco, our mindes and will is, that you, with the advise of our Agents there, doe appoint some such presents for the Emperour and his sonne, either wine, cloth of golde, scarlet, or plate, as to your good discretion shall be thought meet, and when you have delivered unto him the Queenes Majesties Letters, and our sayd present in the name of the Company, we thinke it good that you make your humble sute unto his Highnesse in our name, to get his licence or safe conduct for you and all other our servants or Agents at all times hereafter with such wares and merchandise as you at this time, or they hereafter at all other times shall thinke good to passe out of his dominions towards Tartaria, Persia, or other places, and also to returne unto Mosco with such wares and merchandises as you shall bring or send from any land or countrey that is not in his dominions, and if it be thought good by you and our Agents there to make composition with the emperor or his officers for some certeine custome or tole upon such goods as we shall passe that way, to the intent we might be the better favored, we refer it to your descretion, foreseeing that ye opening of this matter be not prejudiciall unto our former privileges. And for the sale of our cloth of gold, plate, pearles, saphyres, and other jewels, we put our trust and confidence in you principally to sell them for ready money, time to good debters, or in barter for good wares, so that you make our other Agents privy how and for what price you sell any of the premisses, and also deliver such summes of money, billes or wares, as you shall receive, unto our said Agents: thinking good further, that if you perceive that the plate or other jewels, or any part thereof will not be sold for profit before your departure from the Mosco, that then you cause them to be safe packed, and set order they may be sent hither againe in our shippes the next yeere, except you perceive that there may be some profit in carrying some part of them into Persia, which we would not to be of any great value. We have also laden in the sayd Swallow and the other two ships 80 fardles, conteining 400 kersies, as by ye invoice doth appeare, which fardles be packed, & appointed to be caried into Persia: neverthelesse, if you chance to finde good sales for them in the Mosco, we thinke it were good to sell part of them there, and to cary the lesse quantity with you, because we be uncertaine what vent or sale you shall finde in Persia or other places where you shall come. If you obtaine the Emperours licence to passe out of his dominions, and to returne, as aforesaid, & that you perceive you may safely do the same, our minde is, that at such time as you thinke best and most convenient for that purpose, you do appoint so many, and such of our hired servants or apprentises as you thinke necessary & meet for our affaires, and may best be spared, to go with you in your said voyage, whereof we would one to be such as you might make privy of all your doings for divers considerations and causes that may happen: which servants and apprentises, we will and command, by this our remembrance, to be obedient unto you as unto us, not onely to goe with you and to doe such things as you command them in your presence, but also to goe unto such countreys or places as you shall appoint them unto, either with wares or without wares, & there to remaine and continue so long as you shall thinke good, and if they or any of them will refuse to do such things as you do appoint them, as aforesaid, or that any of them (be he hired servant or apprentise) do misuse himselfe by any maner of disobedience or disorder, and will not by gentle and faire meanes be reformed, we will that you send him backe to the Mosco, with straight order that he may be sent from thence hither, & let us have knowledge of his evill behavior, to the intent that if he be a hired servant we may pay him his wages according to his service, and if he be an apprentise we may use him according to his deserts. We will also that you take with you such karsies, scarlet, and other clothes, or any other such wares of ours, as you shall thinke good, and so in the name of God to take your journey towards Persia, either by the way of Astracan and Mare Caspium, or otherwise, as you shall see cause: and when God sendeth you into Persia, our minde is, that you repaire unto the great Sophy with the Queenes Majesties letters, if he be not too farre from the Caspian sea for you to travell, and that you make him such a present as you shall thinke meet, and if you passe by any other kings, princes, or governors, before or after you come to the presence of the Sophy, likewise to make them some present, as you see cause, according to their estate and dignitie, and withall to procure letters of privilege or safeconduct of the sayd Sophy or other princes in as large and ample manner as you can, for the sure establishing of further trade in merchandise by us heereafter to be made, frequented and continued in those parts, not onely that we may freely sell in all places within his dominions such wares as we cary thither, but also buy and bring away any maner of wares or merchandise whatsoever it be, that is for our purpose and commoditie within his dominions, with free passage also for us at all times, to passe as often as we will with our goods and merchandise into any part of India or other countreys thereunto adjoyning, and in like maner to returne thorow his dominions into Russia or elswhere. And for the sale of our kersies or other wares that you shall have with you, as our trust is that you will doe for our most profit and commoditie: even so we referre all unto your good discretion, aswell in the sale of our sayd goods, as to make our returne in such things as you shall finde there, and thinke best for our profit. But if passage cannot be had into Persia by Astracan, or otherwise, the next Summer, which shalbe in the yeere 1562, then our minde is, that you procure to sell our kersies, & other such wares as are appointed for Persia, in the Mosco, or other the Emperours dominions, if you may sell them for any reasonable price, and then to employ your selfe with such other of your servants, as you shall thinke meet for the search of the passage by Nova Zembla, or els you to returne for England as you thinke good. Provided alwayes, that if you do perceive or understand, that passage is like to be had into Persia the Summer folowing, which shalbe in the yere 1563, and that you can not sell our kersies in the Emperours dominions, as aforesayd, at a reasonable price: then we will rather they may be kept till the said Summer in the yeere 1563, and then you to proceed forwards upon your journey towards Persia as aforesayd. If passage into Persia cannot be obteined the next yeere, neither good hope of passage in the yeere 1563, neither yet in the meane time good sale of our kersies in the Emperours dominions, then we thinke good for you to see if you can practise to cary your said wares by safe conduct thorow Polonia , or any other wayes unto Constantinople, or els where you thinke beter sale may be had, then in Russia . Thus have we given you to understand our meanings in this intended adventure: but forasmuch as we do consider and know, that if we should prescribe unto you any certeine way, or direct order what you should doe, we might so worke cleane contrary to our purpose and intent: therefore knowing your approved wisedome with youre experience, and also your carefull and diligent minde in the atchieving and bringing to good successe (by the helpe of almighty God) all things that you take in hand, we doe commit our whole affaires concerning the said adventure wholly unto your good discretion, praying God so to prosper you, as may be first for his glory, secondly for the honour and commoditie of this realme, and next for our profit, with the increase of your good name for ever. And yet further desiring, and also most earnestly requiring you, as you tender the state of our company, that you will have a speciall regard unto the order of our houses & our servants, aswell at Colmogro and Vologda, as at Mosco, and to see and consider if any misorder be amongst our servants or apprentises, wherby you thinke we might hereafter be put to hinderance or losse of any part of our goods or privilege there, that you doe not onely see the same reformed, but also to certifie us thereof by your letter at large, as our trust is in you. And for the better knowledge to be had in the prices and goodnes of such things as we do partly suppose you shall finde in the partes of Russia , we doe heerewith deliver you a quantitie of certeine drugges, wherby you may perceive how to know the best, and also there are noted the prices of such wares and drugges as be heere most vendible: also we deliver you heerewith one pound and one ounce weight in brasse, to the end, that you may therby, & with the bill of prices of wares, know what things be worth here. As for the knowledge of silks, we need not to give you any instructions thereof, other then you know. And if you understand that any commoditie in Russia be profitable for us to have with you into Persia or other places, our minde is that our Agents shall either provide it for you, or deliver you money to make provision your selfe. And because the Russes say that in traveiling Eastwardes from Colmogro thirty or forty dayes journey, there is the maine sea to be found, we thinke that Richard Johnson might imploy his time that way by land, and to be at Mosco time enough to goe with you into Persia: for if it be true that he may travell to the sea that way, and that he may know how many miles it is towards the East from Colmogro, it will be a great helpe for us to finde out the straight and passage that way, if any be there to be had.| William Gerard. | William Merike. | |
| Governors. | ||
| Thomas Lodge. | Blase Sanders. |
