LETTERS FROM JOHN NEWBERY ad. 



1584. 

 If we had beene of any other countrey then of Eng- 

 land, we might freely have traded with them. And 

 although we be Englishmen, I know no reason to the 

 contrary, but that we may trade hither and thither as 

 well as other nations, for all nations doe, and may come 

 freely to Ormuz, as Frenchmen, Flemmings, Almains, 

 Hungarians, Italians, Greekes, Armenians, Nazaranies, 

 Turkes and Moores, Jewes & Gentiles, Persians, Mos- 

 covites, and there is no nation that they seeke for to 

 trouble, except ours : wherefore it were contrary to all 

 justice and reason that they should suffer all nations to 

 trade with them, and to forbid us. But now I have 

 as great liberty as any other nation, except it be to go 

 out of the countrey, which thing as yet I desire not. 

 But I thinke hereafter, and before it be long, if I shall 

 be desirous to go from hence, that they wil not deny 

 me licence. Before we might be suffered to come out 

 of prison, I was forced to put in suerties for 2000 

 pardaus, not to depart from hence without licence of 

 the viceroy : otherwise except this, we have as much 

 libertie as any other nation, for I have our goods 

 againe, & have taken an house in the chiefest streete in 

 the towne, called the Rue drette, where we sell our 

 goods. 



There were two causes which moved the captaine of Tzvo causes of 

 Ormus to imprison us, & afterwards to send us hither. ^^^ ^^^^ ^^\ 

 The first was, because Michael Stropene had accused us Qj.^"^^'^^ 

 of many matters, which were most false. And the 

 second was for that M. Drake at his being at Maluco, 

 caused two pieces of his ordinance to be shot at a 

 gallion of the kings of Portugall, as they say. But of 

 these things I did not know at Ormus : and in the 

 ship that we were sent in came the chiefest justice in 

 Ormus, who was called Aveador generall of that place, 

 he had beene there three yeeres, so that now his time 

 was expired : which Aveador is a great friend to the 

 captaine of Ormus, who, certaine dayes after our com- 

 ming from thence, sent for mee into his chamber, and 



459 



■mus. 



