The Priviledges graunted by the Emperour of Russia to
the English merchants of that company: obteined
the 22. of September, Anno 1567. by M. Anthony
Jenkinson.
ONE onely strengthener of all things, and God without
beginning, which was before the world, the Father, the
Sonne, and the holy Ghost, our onely God in
Trinitie, and
maker of all things, whom we worship in all things, and
in all places, the doer and fulfiller of all things, which is
the perfect knowledge giver of the true God, our Lorde
Jesus Christ, with the comforter the holy Spirit, and thou
which art the strengthener of our faith, keepe us together,
& give us health to preserve our kingdome, thou giver of
all good fruites, and helper of all Christian beleevers.
We great lord by the grace of God, and great duke John
Vasiliwich of all Russia
, Volodimer, Mosco, Novogrod,
Cazan, Astracan, Plesco, Smolensko, Tweria, Yougorie,
Vadika, Bulgar, Sybier and others, Emperour and great
duke of Novogrod of the lower land, of Chernygo, Rezan,
Polotski, Rostove, Yereslave, Bealozera, Oudoria,
Obdoria, Condensa, and lord of many other lands, and
of all the North parts, commander and lord of Liffe-land.
Whereas our sister Queene Elizabeth, by the grace
of God, Queene of England, France and Ireland
, hath
written to us her letters, that wee would graunt her
merchants, William Gerrard, William Chester, Rowland
Heyward, Lawrence Hussie, John Marsh, Anthony
Jenkinson, William Rowly, and their company of
England, to come in ships into this kingdome, and those
merchants, William Gerrard and his company have
required of us that we would graunt and licence them
to come into our countrey of Dwina, with all kind of
wares at wil, to our
City of Mosco, and to all our castles
in our kingdomes, we for our sisters sake Elizabeth, by
the grace of God, Queene of England, France and Ireland
,
have licenced her merchants, William Gerrard and his
company to passe in ships to our kingdome of Colmogro,
and to the land of Dwina, and to all other our inheritances
in the North parts, with all kind of wares to our city of
Mosco, and to all castles and townes in our kingdome.
And sir William Garrard & his company desired of
us, that we would grant them licence to passe to our
inheritance of Cazan and Astracan, and into our inheritance of Novogrod the great, and to our inheritance of
Lifland to Narve and Dorpe, and to other our castles and
townes of Lifland, with all kinde of wares, and the trade
to be without custome, which request we have granted to
sir William Garrard and his company, and have given
them licence to passe to our inheritance of Cazan and
Astracan, and Novogrod the great, and into our inheritance of Lifland, Narve and Dorpe, and other places of our
inheritance in
Lifland with all kinde of wares, to buy,
barter and sell at will, without custome: and what wares
soever they bring out of England, or out of any other
countrey, needfull or necessary, that they shall bring all
those wares needfull or necessary to our treasury, & those
wares there to be opened, and then to take out of the
same, such wares as shalbe needfull for our treasury, and
the rest being delivered againe, to sell and barter at their
pleasure, and to sell none of the fine wares before they be
seene by our chancellers, except sorting clothes, and other
wares not meet for our treasury: and when our chanceller will send our treasure out of our treasury with them,
they shall take it with them, and so sell and barter it for
wares meet for our treasury, and bring it to our treasury,
and they to take no other mens wares to barter or sell
with them, nor yet our people to buy or sell for them their
wares: and if those English merchants do desire to passe
out of our kingdome of Astracan to Boghar, Shamaky,
Chaday, or into any other countreys, or els to go into
their owne countrey, then they to take their treasure
with them, and to barter and sell it for wares necessary
for our treasury, and to bring it and deliver it to our
chanceller, and when they come backe againe to our
inheritance of Cazan and Astracan, or to any other of our
castles and townes, that then our captaine of Cazan and
Astracan, and all other our people of charge shall not
holde them, but with speed let them passe without taking
custome of them or their wares, and without opening or
looking upon them in any wise: and when they have
not our treasure with them, that then likewise no custome
shalbe taken of them nor their wares to be seene of any
man.
And likewise we have granted them to buy and sell in
all our kingdomes and castles, with all kinde of wares:
and we have also licenced them, that when those English
merchants do desire to buy & sell with our merchants
wholly together, that they shall have liberty so to do
wholly together: and they that do desire to sell their
owne wares by retaile in their owne house, that then they
sell it in their own house by retaile to our people & other
strangers, as they can agree: and weights and arshnids
to be kept in their house with our seale, and they themselves to barter and sell their owne wares: and no Russe
merchant in Mosco, or any other place in our kingdome to
sell for them any wares, nor to buy or barter any wares
for them, nor couler any strangers goods. And whereas
those merchants of England, sir William Garrard and his
company do desire to sell their wares at Colmogro, Dwina,
Vologda, Yeraslave, Costrum, and in Novogrod the lower,
Cazan, Astracan, great Novogrod, Plesko, Narve, Dorpe,
and in other our townes & castles, they shall have their
will to sell it: and of their wares of England and Russeland no custome shalbe taken, neither they nor their wares
shalbe stayed in any place: and when they depart out of
Mosco, to advertise our chancellor thereof, and not to give
any note or inventory of any kinde of their wares they
cary away : and when the English merchants, sir William
Garrard and his company do come upon the sea, and by
misfortune have their ships cast away upon those coasts
of the North parts, then we will their goods to be sought
out with trueth, and to be delivered to sir William Garrard
and his company, which as then shall be found in our
countrey: and if that sir William Garrards company be
not in the Mosco nor in our countrey, then we will and
command that those goods of theirs shall be layd up in a
place of safegard untill such time as the said sir William
Garrard or his company come to demand the same: and
then at their comming we will that it shall be delivered
And whereas heretofore we have given sir William
Garrard and his company in this our kingdome of Mosco
the new castle by the church of S. Maxim behinde the
market, they shal there still holde their house as heretofore
we have given them, paying no custome for the same and
we also do licence them to keepe one Russe
porter or two,
or els of their owne countrey, and those porters shall
dwell with them, and not sell for them, nor barter, nor
buy for them: And also I have granted them to buy a
house at Vologda and at Colmogro, or in any other place
where they can chuse for themselves any good harbour,
and there they to set up those houses in those places at
their own charges: and in Vologda or the other houses
to keepe two or three porters of their owne, or els two or
three Russes, and their wares to be layed up in those
houses, and to sell their owne wares at will: and the
porters without them to sell none of their wares, neither
yet to buy any for them. And our officers of Colmogro
and Dwina, and of other our castles & townes shall not
looke over their wares, nor take any custome thereof:
neither shall those English merchants sir William Garrard
and his company be judged by any of them. And when
the English merchants shall send from our kingdome their
owne people into their owne countrey by land over other
kingdomes whatsoever the be, they may without ware send
their owne people at their pleasure. And when any matter
of law doth fall out in their trade of merchandise, then
they shall be judged by our chancellers, and law shalbe
done with equitie betwixt our people and them: and when
they cannot be judged by law, they then shalbe tried by
lots, and whose lot is first taken out, he shall have the
right. And if it happen any of those merchants to have
any matter of law in any other part of our dominions for
trade of merchants, then our captaines, judges, and chiefe
officers shall heare the matter, and administer justice with
equity and trueth, and where law can take no place, to be
tried by lots, and his lot that is first taken out to have
the right, and for their matters of law no custome to be
payed.
Furthermore, we for our sisters sake Elizabeth have
granted, that none beside sir William Garrard and his
company, out of what kingdome soever it be, England
or other, shall not come in trade of merchandise nor
otherwise to Colmogro, nor to the river Ob, nor within
Wardhouse, nor to Petzora, nor Cola, nor Mezen, nor
to the abbey of Petchingo, nor to the
Island of Shallawy,
nor to any mouth of the river of Dwina, nor to any
part of the North countrey of our coast. And if any
merchant, out of what countrey soever it be, doe come
with ship or shippes, busses, or any other kinde of vessell
to any of our harbours, within all our North parts, we
will that then the people and goods, ship or ships, shalbe
confiscate, and forfeited to us the Emperour and great
Duke.
Given in our kingdome and house of Mosco, the yeere
from the beginning of the word 7076, in the moneth of
September, and in the 34 yeere of our reigne, and in
our conquest of Cazan 16, and in our conquest of
Astracan 15.
Perused and allowed by us:
Anthonie Jenkinson.
William Rowly.
Thomas Hawtry.
Thomas Sowtham.
Rafe Rutter, translatour hereof out of the Russe
tongue.
