A letter of the honorable M. Wil. Hareborne her majesties ambass. with the grand Signior to M. Tipton, appoint ing him Consul of the English in Algier, Tunis , & Tripolis of Barbarie.
MASTER TIPTON
,
I have received among others, yours of
the 10. of November 1584. by Soliman Sorda, certifying
the receipt of mine of the 24. of June 1584. with the 3.
commandements, which not being registred, let it now be
done. Where you write the force of the privilege to be
broken by our ships in shooting, & therfore be lawfully
taken, you are deceived, for of those taken in them, hath
the grand Signior now delivered us free, Wil. Moore, and
Rob. Rawlings, & further promised the rest in like case,
wheresoever they be, & that hereafter no violence shalbe
shewed, considering ours be merchants ships which go
peaceably in their voiage, & were ignorant of the orders
of Algier, neither knew afar off, whether they were friends
or the Christians gallies in league against us, of whom
they most doubted, who not suffring our ships to come
into these parts, wil make prize of the goods & captive
the men, so as they are not to let them come nigh them:
& since ours have not done contrary to the articles of the
same privilege, wherein is no order for Algier prescribed
us, as both by the originall now sent us, & also by the
copy now sent you from London you may perceive, they
according to right are as abovesaid to be set free, and
their goods restored, which if it be not there accomplished
as the grand Signior hath now commanded & most faithfully promised, neither yet in case of their denial, those
offenders punished here, and our injuries redressed, we are
to demand our Congie, & command our merchants her
majesties subjects, to end their traffike here, which in our
countrey commodities is prooved & found by the grand
Signior to be so beneficial to his countries as we are
assured so well thereof, as also for the honor which his
ancestors never had of friendship wt so mighty a prince
as is her majesty, he wil not but maintaine ye faith promised her, & the intercourse 'in due force. And where
you say yt the grand Signor his letters, in the behalf of
the French, were no more accepted there, then of a mean
man, nor tooke no place, that is not material to us, our
letters are after another sort much more effectuall. For
our case & theirs be found far different, in yt they be
not onely now out of favour with him, but also the commodities which they bring hither, as suger, paper, bracelets, ropes of bast almonds, &c. all which may be here wel
spared, & we contrarily so wel esteemed, as he never
denied us any thing since our comming demanded, which
neither their ambassador, nor the Venetian could have
here, & therfore we rest perswaded, knowing the wisdom
of the Beglerbeg, who is advised by his friends from
hence, of this our credite wt his master, he wil so respect
his commandements, as to accomplish ye tenor therof
according to our desire. And where you say yt the
Janizers rule all there, I know right wel yt if things be
not done as the grand Signior commandeth, his lieutenant
must answer it. And therefore I am fully perswaded if
he doe what he may they dare not resist him, for if they
should, those rebels should not be unpunished of ye grand
Signior. And though they speake their pleasures among
themselves there, yet they be not so brutish, but they wel
consider that their master ye grand Signior may not be
gainsaid or mocked of any. For upon his word dependeth
the life or death even of the chiefest, as I have seene since
my comming hither. So whatsoever these Janizaries say,
they will be better advised in their deedes then to withstand their Viceroy, if he himselfe wil use his lawfull
power, which if hee doe not, hee cannot purge himselfe
here of their evill proceedings against the grand Signiors
friends: for the feet may not rule the bodie, but contrary
wise, the head, the feete, and all the rest of the members.
And for that neither for feare, affection or otherwise you
omit as a faithfull true subject to her majestie to do your
dutie, I do by my warrant going herewith charge you, &
in her majesties name, to the uttermost to use your good
and faithful endevour, as becommeth a true subject, & in
all things that may concerne her majesties good service,
assisting the Chaus with the rest of our messengers in
counsel, travel, & what els shall be thought requisite for
your good discharge of your dutie. And to ye end you
may boldly proceed herein as also for the good opinion
sir Edward Osborne & the company have of you, and I no
lesse perswaded of youre wisedom, upright dealing, &
good experience in those parts, do send you herewith the
grand Signiors & our patents for exercising the office of
Consul there, in Tripolis & Tunis
: by vertue of which
authoritie you may without feare proceed as the office
doeth chalenge in defence of our privilege, to redresse
all injuries offred our nation. Which if you cannot get
reformed there of ye Beglerbies upon your complaint, I
thereof advertised, shal doe it here, and to the uttermost
maintaine you in al rightful causes whatsoever, doubt you
not. And hereafter according to your advise, I wil and
do give our ships order not to fight with any gallies of
Alger
, but to hoise out their skiffe and go aboord to shew
them their safeconduct, & to present the captain with a
garment, & you there in such like case are to take order
that they do not forceably take any thing from them.
Nothing doubting but the Viceroy (whose friendship in
her majesties behalfe I desire) will not onely performe the
same your just request, & according to right, restore to
libertie our men since the privilege taken, but also cause
those yt tooke & sunke our ships to answere the value,
which I have set downe truly, and rather with the least
in the Inventorie translated into Turkish, whereof the
inclosed is the copy in English, which I send to the end
you may be the better informed of my demand by this
our Chaus Mahomet, with whom in all things you are to
conferre of matters expedient, for the honor of her
majesties country, & the commoditie, and libertie of poore
captives, which if the Viceroy do wel consider, according
to his wisedom, as the grand Signior doeth thereof, he
shal wel perceive it not onely a great honour to his master
as aforesaid, to continue this amitie with her majestie, but
chiefly to the whole estate of his kingdom exceeding profitable, which by this means shall be abundantly served with
the chiefest commodities they want, with many other
things of more importance to the grand Signior his contentation, not herein to be mentioned. For I know the
Viceroies experienced wisdom can wel consider thereof,
in such sort as he wil not deny to accomplish his masters
commandement, & our earnest request in so smal a matter
as this we require, whereof I expect no refusall: for
thereby he shall increase his honor with the grand Signior,
be in credite with her majestie, be void of trouble which
hereafter by future suite against him may happen, and
his gallies free of such doubtful issue as doeth chance,
fighting with our ships. Which, as it is well knowen to
all the world, have so great hearts as never cowardly to
yeeld to their enemies. And that therefore in that respect
(after the proverbe, like esteeme of their like) they are the
more of such a valiant prince as is their Viceroy and his
couragious souldiers to be in all friendship cherished and
better esteemed. If the captaine Bassa had bene returned
from Capha, I would in like maner have procured his
letters, which for that he is not, I doubt nothing but that
the grand Signiors will suffise. Thus commending your
selfe and these proceedings to the almighty his merciful
direction, I bid you most heartily wel to fare. From my
mansion Rapamat nigh Pera, this 30. of March 1585.
