The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques, and Discoveries of The English Nation, vol 4 | Page 4

named Stephen Twerdico, and
Theodore Pogorella, with letters and presents to her Maiesty, at that
time being at Otelands, where diuers of the chiefe merchants of the
Russian company did associate them, and I there doing my duetie and
office of interpretour, her Maiestie gaue them audience. First they
rehearsed the long stile and Maiesty of their Master, with his most
friendly and hearty commendations to her Highnesse, and then they
testified the singuler great ioy and pleasure that he conceiued to heare
of her most princely estate, dignitie and health: and lastly, they
deliuered their letters and presents. The presents sent vnto her Maiesty
were Sables, both in paires for tippets, and two timbars, to wit, two
times fortie, with Luserns and other rich furres. [Sidenote: The vse of
furres wholesome, delicate, graue and comely.] For at that time that
princely ancient ornament of furres was yet in vse. And great pitie but
that it might be renewed, especiall in Court, and among Magistrates,
not onely for the restoring of an olde worshipfull Art and Companie,
but also because they be for our climate wholesome, delicate, graue and
comely: expressing dignitie, comforting age, and of longer continuance,
and better with small cost to be preserued, then these new silks,
shagges, and ragges, wherein a great part of the wealth of the land is
hastily consumed.
These ambassadours were appointed lodging and enterteinement by the
Moscouie company at their house then in Seething Lane, and were
sundrie times after permitted to be in presence. And in May 1568 tooke
their leaue at Greenwich, where they vnderstood and had the Queenes
Maiesties minde, letters and reward. [Sidenote: The trade to S.

Nicholas offensiue to diuers princes and states Eastward.] At the latter
part of her talke, her Highnesse considering that our trade to Saint
Nicholas since the beginning had bene offensiue to diuers princes,
states, and merchants Eastward vsed these speeches or the like: Who is
or shall be more touched by detractours, with flying tales and vntrue
reports, then Princes and Rulers, to the breach of loue and vnitie? your
Master and I in things that passe by word and writing, I doubt not will
keepe and performe promises. If he heare the contrary of me, let him
suspend his iudgement, and not be light of credit, and so will I. These
words they termed her Maiesties golden speech: and kneeling downe,
kissed her hand, and departed.
The letters that these two messengers brought, were deliuered to me by
my Lord Treasurour, being then Secretarie, to be translated, the copies
whereof I had, but now cannot finde. The copie of the Queenes
Maiesties letter I send inclosed herewith vnto your worship. I also haue
sent you a copy of a letter written from the king of Polonia to the
Queenes Maiestie, with other letters from some of our nation and
factours, declaring the displeasure for our trafficke to the Russes from
Anno 1558 to the yere 1566, especially by the way of the Narue: in
which yere of 1566, hauing generall procuration and commission from
the Company, I was in the Low countrey at Antwerpe and Amsterdam,
and sometimes in company with Polacks, Danskers, and Easterlings:
and by, reason I had bene a lidger in Russia, I could the better reply and
proue, that their owne nations and the Italians were most guiltie of the
accusations written by the king of Poland.
This king Sigismundus [Footnote: Sigismund II, the last of the Jagellon
race, added Livonia to his kingdom. He reigned from 1548 to 1572. It
was after his death that the King of Poland became an elective instead
of an heritary sovereign.] (whose ambassadours very sumptuous I haue
seene at Mosco) was reported to be too milde in suffering the
Moscouites. [Sidenote: Smolensko won by the Russe.] Before our
trafficke they ouerranne his great dukedome of Lituania, and tooke
Smolensco, carrying the people captiues to Mosco. [Sidenote: Polotzko
taken.] And in the yere 1563, as appeareth by Thomas Alcocks letter,
they suffered the Russe likewise in that Duchy to take a principall city

called Polotzko, with the lord and people thereof. Likewise the said
Sigismundus and the king of Sweden did not looke to the protection of
Liuonia, but lost all, except Rie and Reuel, and the Russe made the
Narue his port to trafficke, not onely to vs, but to Lubec and others,
generall. And still from those parts the Moscouites were furnished out
of Dutchland by enterlopers with all arts and artificers, and had few or
none by vs. The Italians also furnished them with engines of warre, and
taught them warrelike stratagemes, and the arte of fortification. In the
dayes of Sigismund the Russe would tant the Polacks, that they loued
their ease at home with their wiues,