A. D. 158 1. I 69 



be done for the peace of Chriflendom, relief of chriftian flaves, and 

 good vent for the commodities of the realm, to the advancement of 

 her honour and dignity, the increafe of her revenue, and of the gene- 

 ral wealth of the realm. She therefor grants unto thofe four mer- 

 chants, their executors and adminiftrators, and to fuch other Engliflv- 

 men (not exceeding twelve in number) as the faid Sir Edward Ofborn 

 and Richard Staper fhall appoint to be joined to them and the other 

 two before-named perfons, and their fadors, fervants, or deputies, for 

 the fpace of feven years, to trade to Turkey, in fuch manner as the 

 faid company fhall agree between themfelves : during which time 

 they may make by-laws for their good government (not repugnant 

 to the laws of the kingdom). Nothing to be tranfatfled without the 

 confent of the governor for the time being, (Sir Edward Ofbome 

 being hereby appointed the firfl governor). The trade to Turkey 

 to be folely to them, their fadlors and fervants, during the faid term ; 

 and any other fubjedts trading thither, either by fea or land, without 

 their licence, to forfeit fliips and goods, moiety to the crown, moiety 

 to the company. For the laft fix of the faid feven years this com- 

 pany fliall export fo much goods to Turkey as fhall annually pay at 

 leafl L500 cuflora to the crown, (except in cafe of fliipwreck, &c.) 

 Provifo, that in cafe this exclufive grant fhall hereafter appear to be 

 inconvenient, the queen may revoke the fame upon one year's previ- 

 ous notice ; and the queen, during the faid term, may nom.inate two 

 perfons to be added to the faid number of patentees, with the fame 

 privileges, &c. as the refl herein named. Laftly, if at the end of 

 the faid feven years thefe grantees defire it, the queen will grant other 

 feven years to them, provided (as aforcniid) the faid exclufive trade 

 fhall not appear to be unprofitable to the kingdom.' 

 Nothing can be more cautioufly penned than this charter; and par- 

 ticularly we may obferve, that by the firfl provifo the queen in effed 

 kept it in her own power to dilTolve them at any. time, on giving one 

 year's notice. 



Sir William Monfon in his Naval tra6ts, (written in 1635) alHgns 

 the following reafons that England did not fooner enter direftly on the 

 Turkey trade for Perfian and Indian merchandize, but till now fullered 

 the Venetians to engrofs that trade entirely, viz. 



' I) Former times did not afford fhipping fufBcient for it. 

 ' II) We could not ; becaufe of the great danger of falling into the 

 ' hands of the Turks,' (he means the Barbary Moors), ' who in thofe 

 * days were fo ignorant of our nation, as to think England to be a town 

 ' in the kingdom of London. 



' That the Venetians in thofe times fent their argofies, or argofers,' 

 (the corrupt name for a certain kind of great fhip, conflruded after the 

 make of thofe of Ragufa) ' yearly to Southampton with Turkey, Per- 

 VoL. II. Y 



