Unhappily their good treatment was not long continued. Soon Ivan set a thousand of his opritchniks "to rob and spoil them," and their sufferings were terrible. Some escaped into the English House, and were clad and relieved there, "but," says Horsey, "we were in danger of great displeasure in so doing." But Horsey, a man of wide sympathies, did not confine his aid to men of his own country; he was instrumental in saving many other of the captives of Ivan's wars in the west, who were quartered in a special suburb, the _nemetski sloboda_, "by my mediation and means, being then familiar and conversant in the Court, well known and respected of the best favourites and officers at that time, I procured liberty to build them a church, and contributed well thereunto; got unto them a learned preaching minister, and divine service and meeting of the congregation every Sabath day, but after their Lutheran profession." These people "soon grew in good liking" of the Muscovite citizens, "living civilly, but in doleful mourning manner for their evil loss of goods, friends, and country." Horsey was the man chosen by Ivan to take a private message to Queen Elizabeth in answer to the important communication she had sent him by Anthony Jenkinson. The Tsar provided him with horses, and a guard as far as the confines of his territory, but "forbear to tell you all the secrets entrusted to you, lest you should fall into my enemy's power and be forced to betray them, but you will give to the Queen, my loving sister, the contents of this bottle," and the Tsar himself secreted a small wooden spirit-flask among the trappings of the young rider's horse.