OSEP NAPEA'S RETURN HOME a.d. 



1558. 



Chancellors sent unto us and willed us to come to their 



office in the Chancerie, where at our comming they 



shewed us k a great number of the Emperors jewels, and 



rich robes, willing us to marke and beholde them well, 



to the end that at our arrivall into England, we might 



make report what we had seene there. 



The chiefest was his majesties crowne, being close The Emper- 

 under the top very faire wrought : in mine opinion, ourswar<irooe - 

 the workmanship of so much gold few men can amend. 

 It was adorned and decked with rich and precious stones 

 abundantly, among the which one was a rubie, which 

 stood a handfull higher then the top of the crown upon 

 a small wier, it was as big as a good beane : the same 

 crown was lined with a faire blacke Sable, worth by 

 report 40. robles. 



Wee sawe all his majesties robes which were very 

 richly set with stones, they shewed us manie other 

 great stones of divers kindes, but the most part of them 

 were uneven, in maner as they came out of the worke, 

 for they doe more esteeme the greatnesse of stones, 

 then the proportion of them. 



We saw two goodly gownes which were as heavie as 

 a man could easily carrie, all set with pearles over and 

 over : the gards or borders round about them were 

 garnished with saphires and other good stones abun- 

 dantly. One of the same gownes was very rich, for the 

 pearles were very large, round and orient : as for the 

 rest of his gownes and garments, they were of rich 

 tissue and cloth of gold and all furred with very 

 blacke Sables. 



When we had sufficiently perused all these things, 

 they willed master Gray at his arrivall in England, to 

 provide if he could, such jewels and rich clothes as he 

 had seene there, and better if he could, declaring that 

 the Emperour would gladly bestow his money upon 

 such things. 



So we tooke our leave the same time, and departed 

 towards Vologda immediatly. 



437 



