at the
right honourable, William Hareborne, Ambassadour in our most famous Porch,
for the most excellent Queenes Maiestie 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, arriuing 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 and hauing
answered in like maner the custome for the same, determined to depart: a
Frenchman assistant to the Marchant, vnknowen 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 euill, 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, eleuen died, and
the rest like to die. Further, it was signified to our Maiestie also, that
the marchandise and other goods, with the shippe, were worth 7600. duckets:
which things if they be so, this is our commandemeht, which was granted and
giuen by our Maiestie, that the English shippe, and all the marchandize,
and whatsoeuer 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 vnto thee, wee straightly commaund,
that the foresaid businesse be diligently looked vnto, and discharged. And
if it be so, that a Frenchman, and no Englishman hath done this craft, and
wickednesse vnknowen 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 law, custome of Countreys, and their priuilege, to
hinder or hurt them. Neither is it meete, their shippe, marchandise, and
all their goods taken, should be withholden. We will therefore, that the
English shippe, marchandize,