a.d. THE ENGLISH VOYAGES 



1559- 



most : and that shall we proove as occasion shall serve. 



Therefore we shall commaund the arrests, if any be made 



by our subjects (as it is unknowen to us) of merchants 



The olde liber- goods and English names to be discharged : and shall 



tie oftrafficke. conserve the olde libertie of trafficke, and all other things 



which shall seeme to apperteine to neighbourhood be- 



tweene us and your Majesty : so that none of the subjects 



of your Majesty hereafter presume to use the navigation 



to the Narve forbidden by us, and full of danger not 



onely to our parts, but also to the open destruction of all 



The meanes of Christians and liberall nations. The which as we have 



increase of t e wr i tten a f or e, so now we write againe to your Majesty 



power of the , . irir & i » « J J / 



Moscovite. tnat we know and reele of a surety, the Moscovite, enemy 



to all liberty under the heavens, dayly to grow mightier 

 by the increase of such things as be brought to the Narve, 

 while not onely wares but also weapons heeretofore un- 

 knowen to him, and artificers & arts be brought unto 

 him : by meane whereof he maketh himselfe strong to 

 vanquish all others. Which things, as long as this 

 voyage to Narve is used, can not be stopped. And we 

 perfectly know your Majesty can not be ignorant how 

 great the cruelty is of the said enemy, of what force he is, 

 what tyranny he useth on his subjects, and in what servile 

 sort they be under him. We seemed hitherto to vanquish 

 him onely in this, that he was rude of arts, and ignorant 

 of policies. If so be that this navigation to the Narve 

 continue, what shall be unknowen to him ? Therefore 

 we that know best, and border upon him, do admonish 

 other Christian princes in time, that they do not betray 

 their dignity, liberty and life of them and their subjects 

 to a most barbarous and cruell enemy, as we can no lesse 

 do by the duty of a Christian prince. For now we do 

 foresee, except other princes take this admonition, the 

 Moscovite puffed up in pride with those things that be 

 brought to the Narve, and made more perfect in warlike 

 affaires with engines of warre and shippes, will make 

 assault this way on Christendome, to slay or make bound 

 all that shall withstand him : which God defend. With 



486 



