Page:A Comprehensive History of India Vol 1.djvu/270

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IirSTOIlV OF INDIA.

[Book I,

Letter of

Queen

Elizabeth

A.D. 1600. by Iho several ailveiiturers in this lu.sl and pro-scnt voyage, now in liand to be Bet fortli, such sums of money, as liave been, by any of the said peraon.^ by these presents nominated to be of the said company, expressed, set down, and written in a l>ook for that purpose, and left in the hands of the said Thomas Smith, governor of the said company, or of the said Paul Banning, alderman of London, and subscribed with the names of the same adventurers, under their hands, and agreed upon to be adventured in the said first voyage, that then, it shall be lawful for the said governor and company, or the more part of them, whereof the said governor or his deputy to be one, at any their general court, or general assembly, to remove, disfranchise, and displace him or them, at their wills and pleasures."

In order to facilitate communication and friendly intercourse with the coun- tries which might be visited during the first voyage under the charter, the commander was fiu-nished with duplicate letters, in which the queen addressed their supposed sovereigns in the following tenns : —

"Elizabethe, by the grace of God, Queene of England, Fraunce, and Ireland, Defenrler

of the Faithe, &c., — To the greate and mightie King of, our lovinge Brother,

gi'eetinge :

" Whereas Almightie God, in his infinite wisdome and providence, haith so disposed of his blessings, and of all the good things of this world, which are created and ordeined for the use of man, that howesoever they be brought forthe, and do either originallie gi'owe, and are gathered, or otherwise composed and made, some in one countrie, and some in another, yet they are, by the Industrie of man, directed by the hand of God, dispersed and sent out into all the partes of the world, that thereby his wonderfull bountie in his creatures may appeare unto all nacions, his Divine Majestic havinge so ordeyned, that no one place should enjoy (as the native commodities thereof) all things apperteyninge to man's use, but that one countrie should have uede of another, and out of the aboundance of the fruits which some region enjoyeth, that the necessities or wants of another should be supplied, l)y which meanes, men of severall and farr remote countries have commerce and traffique, one with another, and by their euterchange of commodities are linked togeather in amytie and friendshipp :

"This consideration, most noble king, togeather with the honorable report of your majestic, for the well enterteyuinge of strangers which visitt your countrie in love and peace (with lawful traflfique of merchaundizinge) have moved us to geave licence to divere of our subjects, who have bene stirred upp with a desire (by a long and daungerous navigacion) to finde out and visitt jonr tei-ritories and dominions, beinge famous in theise partes of the world, and to offer you commerce and traffique, in buyiuge and euterchauuginge of commodities with our people, accordinge to the course of merchaunts ; of which commerce and interchang- ing, yf your majestic shall accept, and shall receive and entertayne our merchaunts with favour, accordinge to that hope which hath encouraged them to attempt so long and daun- gerous a voiadge, you shall finde them a people, in their dealinge and conversacion, of that justice and civilitie, that you shall not mislike of their repaire to your dominions, and uppou further conference and inquisicion had with them, both of theire kindes of merchaundize brouo-hte in their shippes, and of other necessarie commodities which our domminions may afforthe, it may appeare to your majestic that, by their meanes, you may be furnished, in their next retourne into your portes, in better sort then you have bene heretofore supplied, ether by the Spauyard or Portugale, who, of all other nacions in these partes of Europe, have onlie hetherto frequented your countries with trade of merchaundize, and have bene the onlie impediments, both to our subjects, and diverse other merchaunts in the partes of Europe, that they have not hitherto visited your countrie with trade, whilest the said Portugales pre- tended themselves to be the soveraigne lordes and princes of all your territories, and gave it oiTt that they held your nacion and j^eople as subjects to them, and, in their stiles and titles, do write themselves Kinges of the East Indies:

"And yf your majestic shall, in your princelie favour, accept, with good likinge. this

Queen's

letter.