I 72 A. D. 1582. 



,of another diet ; and our merchants were afterward permitted to re- 

 move from Staden to Hamburgh, where they were well received. 



In this year the Ruflia company fent out no fewer than eleven fhips, 

 well armed, for fear of enemies and pirates. 



Pope Gregory XIII ordered ten days to be cut off from this year, 

 becaufe 365 days and 6 hours exceeded a year by 1 1 minutes ; one day 

 therefor is gained in about 132 years ; by which means, from the year 

 325, when the council of Nice was held, to this year 1582, 10 whole days 

 were gained. This was called the new flile, and doubtlels the jufleft ; 

 though we and other proteftant flates kept to the old ftile till very 

 lately. 



1583. — Such was the cuftom and policy of thofe times, that Qiieen Eli- 

 zabeth was obliged, for the protection of the fhips of her Ruflia company, 

 (fays Camden in her Annals) to obtain the king of Denmark's permif- 

 flon for the company's fliips freely to navigate the North fca, by the 

 coafts of Norway and Lapland to the haven of St. Nicholas ; and in cafe 

 of foul weather, &c. to take fhelter either in Iceland or Norway, even 

 in ports by former agreements prohibited, provided they did not trade 

 there without that king's licence ; for which privileges the company 

 were to pay him 100 rofe nobles annually, during the term of this 

 grant. 



Queen Elizabeth fent Sir Jerom Bowes to Ruflia : but the minifters of 

 the new czar, Pheodore Juanowitz, being, as fome faid, corrupted by 

 Dutch preients, he returned home without being able to obtain a re- 

 newal pf the company's exclufive privileges. The writers of thofe times 

 acquaint us, that, befides the main commodities fent from England to 

 Ruflia, viz. cloths, filks, velvets, &c. they carried thither coarfe linen 

 cloth*, old iilver plate, all kinds of fmall mercery wares ferving for the 

 apparel of both fexes, as linen and filk girdles, garters, purfcs, knives, 

 &c. Yet what by the expenfe of the firfl; dilcovery, (thirty years ago) 

 and the large prefents fince befl:owed on the czar and his minifters, and 

 the falfe dealings of others there, it had coft the company about 

 L8o,ooo before it could be brought to any profitable account ; and even 

 at this time, from the fickle temper of the czar and his people, the en- 

 croachments of the Hollanders, and the expenfe of ambafladors, &c. all 

 born by the company, this trade now flood on a very precarious bot- 

 tom.* Camden in his Hiftory of Queen Elizabeth fays that this new czar 

 promifed to remit to our company half of the cufioms paid by other 

 nations, in confideration of their having been the firfl difcoverers of the 

 Avay thither by fea. In other refpecls he added to their privileges out 

 of regard for the queen ; at the fame time accufing the com.pany of hav- 

 ing deak faliely with his people ; and no other anfwer than this could 



* Great quantities of Lnens of vaiious kinds are now importtd from Ruffia : fuch are freq^uently 

 the vaft alterations in commerce. 



