Page:Travels and adventures of William Lithgow.pdf/19

 day he went to pay his duty to Sir Thomas Glover, the English ambassador, who courteously entertained him three months in his house. “A more complete gentleman (he says), he never met with, nor one in whom true worth did more illustrate virtue” His mother was a Polish lady, who coming from Dantzick to London, was delivered of him at sea. Afterwards he was brought up at Constantinople, and spoke and wrote the Sclavonian tongue perfectly; and thence returning to London, he was the first ambassador sent there by king James I. after his coming to the crown of England. The duke of Moldavia being deprived of his principalities by Achmet, was received and chargeably maintained by Sir Thomas in his house, for two years, but his embassy being expired, and Sir Paul Pindar being expected in his place, this prince stole away from him, turned Turk, and was circumcised, receiving only, for his dukedom, a palace, and a yearly pension of 12,000 gold sequins for life. He owed the ambassador about 15,000, half of which, in half a year, he recovered, the other half he was forced to forego. The winter being expired, Lithgow sailed in an English ship to Smyrna, and thence to