The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03Hakluyt, Richard
History
The Principal Navigations, Voyages, Traffiques and Discoveries of the English Nation — Volume 03
Hakluyt, Richard
Discoveries in geography -- English; Voyages and travels
that they espied a farre off a certaine fisher boate, which Master
Chanceler, accompanied with a fewe of his men, went towards to common with
the fishermen that were in it, and to knowe of them what Countrey it was,
and what people, and of what maner of liuing they were: but they beeing
amazed with the strange greatnesse of his shippe, (for in those partes
before that time they had neuer seene the like) beganne presently to auoyde
and to flee: but hee still following them at last ouertooke them, and being
come to them, they (being in great feare, as men halfe dead) prostrated
themselues before him, offering to kisse his feete: but hee (according to
his great and singular courtesie,) looked pleasantly vpon them, comforting
them by signes and gestures, refusing those dueties and reuerences of
theirs, and taking them vp in all louing sort from the ground. And it is
strange to consider howe much fauour afterwards in that place, this
humanitie of his did purchase to himselfe. For they being dismissed spread
by and by a report abroad of the arriuall of a strange nation, of a
singular gentlenesse and courtesie: whereupon the common people came
together offering to these newe-come ghests victuals freely, and not
refusing to traffique with them, except they had bene bound by a certaine
religious vse and custome, not to buy any forreine commodities, without the
knowledge and consent of the king.
By this time our men had learned that this Countrey was called Russia, or
Moscouie, and that Iuan Vasiliwich (which was at that time their Kings
name) ruled and gouerned farre and wide in those places. And the barbarous
Russes asked likewise of our men whence they were, and what they came for:
whereunto answere was made, that they were Englishmen sent into those
coastes, from the most excellent King Edward the sixt, hauing from him in
commandement certaine things to deliuer to their King, and seeking nothing
els but his amitie and friendship, and traffique with his people, whereby
they doubted not, but that great commoditie and profit would grow to the
subiects of both kingdomes.
The Barbarians heard these things very gladly, and promised their aide and
furtherance to acquaint their king out of hand with so honest and a
reasonable request.
In the meane time Master Chanceler intreated victuals for his money of the
gouernour of that place (who together with others came aboord him) and
required hostages of them likewise for the more assurance of safetie to
himselfe and his company. To whom the gouernours answered, that they knewe
not in that case the will of their king, but yet were willing in such
things as they might lawfully doe, to pleasure him: which was as then to
affoord him the benefit of victuals.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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