The Turkes letter to the King of Tripolis in Barbarie, commanding the restitution of an English ship, called the Jesus, with the men, and goods, sent from Constantinople, by Mahomet Beg, a Justice of the Great Turkes, and an English Gentleman, called Master Edward Barton. Anno 1584.
HONOURABLE, and worthy Bassa Romadan Beglerbeg,
most wise and prudent Judge of the West Tripolis, wee
wish the ende of all thy enterprises happie, and prosperous.
By these our highnesse letters, wee certifie thee,
that the right honourable, William Hareborne, Ambassadour in our most famous Porch, for the most excellent
Queenes Majestie of England, in person, and by letters
hath certified our highnesse, that a certaine shippe, with
all her furniture, and artillerie, worth two thousand
duckets, arriving in the port of Tripolis, and discharged
of her lading and marchandize, paide our custome according to order, and againe, the marchants laded their shippe
with oyle, which by constraint they were inforced to buy
of you, & having answered in like maner the custome for
the same, determined to depart: a Frenchman assistant to
the Marchant, unknowen to the Englishmen, caried away
with him another Frenchman indebted to a certaine Moore
in foure hundred duckets, and by force caused the
Englishmen, and shippe to depart: who neither suspecting
fraude, nor deceite, hoised sailes. In the meane time,
this man, whose debter the Frenchman had stollen away,
went to the Bassa with the supplication, by whose meanes,
and force of the Castle, the Englishmen were constrained
to returne into the port, where the Frenchman, author of
the evill, with the Master of the ship an Englishman,
innocent of the crime were hanged, and sixe and twentie
Englishmen cast into prison, of whom through famine,
thirst, and stinke of the prison, eleven died, and the rest
like to die. Further, it was signified to our Majestie also,
that the marchandise and other goods, with the shippe,
were worth 7600. duckets: which things if they be so,
this is our commandement, which was granted and given
by our Majestie, that the English shippe, and all the
marchandize, and whatsoever else taken away bee wholy
restored, and that the Englishmen be let goe free, and
suffered to returne into their Countrey. Wherefore when
this our commaundement shall come unto thee, wee
straightly commaund, that the foresaid businesse be diligently looked unto, and discharged. And if it be so,
that a Frenchman, and no Englishman hath done this
craft, and wickednesse unknowen to the Englishmen, and
as authour of the wickednesse is punished, and that the
Englishmen committed nothing against the peace and
league, or their articles: also if they payd custome according to order, it is against lawe, custome of Countreys,
and their privilege, to hinder or hurt them. Neither is it
meete, their shippe, marchandise, and all their goods
taken, should be withholden. Wee will therefore, that the
English shippe, marchandize, and all other their goods,
without exception, be restored to the Englishmen: also
that the men bee let goe free, and if they will, let none
hinder them, to returne peaceably into their Countrey:
do not commit, that they another time complaine of this
matter, and how this businesse is dispatched, certifie us
at our most famous porche.
Dated in the Citie of Constantinople, in the 992. yeere
of Mahomet, and in the ende of the moneth of October;
and in the yeere of Jesus 1584.
