A copie of the Commission given to Sir Jerome Bowes,
authorizing him her Majesties Ambassadour unto the
Emperour of Russia, Anno 1583.
ELIZABETH by the grace of God, Queene of England,
France and Ireland
, defender of the faith, &c. to al and
singular, to whom these presents shal come to be seen
and red, greeting. Whereas the most excellent prince
John Basiliwich king, and great duke of all Russia
,
Volodomer, Moscovie, and Novogrod, king of Cazan and
Astracan, lord of Plesco, and great duke of Smolensco,
of Tuer, Ugor, and Permia, Valca, Bolhar and others,
lord great duke of Novogrod in the low country, of
Cherniga, Rezan, Polotsco, Rostove, Yeraslave, Bealozera, Liefland, Oudor, Obdor and Condensa, and
governour of al the land of Siberia
, and of the North
parts and other, our most deare brother and friend did of
late send unto us one Feodor Andrewich Spisemsky, a
noble man of his, to deale with us in certaine speciall
businesses, respecting very neerely the honour of either
of us, and being such as without the speeding of some
Ambassadour of ours to the foresaid most excellent
prince, cannot be sufficiently determined and concluded:
For this cause we having great confidence in the fidelitie,
industrie, provident circumspection and convenient experience of our welbeloved servant Jerome Bowes knight, a
gentleman of qualitie of our housholde, do by these presents make and constitute the foresaid Jerome Bowes
knight our true & undoubted Ambassadour, Orator and
special commissioner, giving and graunting to the same
Jerome Bowes knight, our Orator, by the vertue of these
presents authoritie and commandement, as wel general as
special, so that the special shall not prejudice the generall,
nor on the other side the general the special, to intreat,
conferre, conclude, and appoint in our name, and for us
with the foresaid most excellent prince and his counsellers
and deputies whatsoever, concerning the foresaide businesses, and ech of them, according as it shall seeme good,
and for our honour to our foresaide Orator, as also of
and upon such things intreated, concluded and appointed,
as in all and singular other things, any maner of way
concerning the premisses, to deliver in our name and for
us, sufficient and effectual letters and instruments, and to
require letters & instruments of the like validitie and effect
of the other part, and to procure them lawfully to bee
made and sealed, and then to receive them, and generally
to doe, execute, and dispatch al and singular other things
concerning the premisses, in, and after the same maner,
as we our selves would and might do if we were present,
although they be such things as may seeme of themselves
to require a more speciall commandement: promising in
good faith and in the word of a prince, that we will
hold and observe all and singular the things which by our
Ambassador aforesayd shall be appointed, promised,
agreed, accorded and concluded in this behalfe, as lawfull,
gratefull, and firme, and thereupon as need shall require,
will give our letters patents, confirmatory and approbatory, in forme effectuall and autenticall. In witnesse
whereof, we have caused our great seale of our kingdome
of England to be put to these presents, and signed them
with our owne hand.
Given at our pallace of Greenewich the fourth day of
June, in the yeere of our Lord 1583, and of our reigne the
five and twentieth.