Full resolution (JPEG) - On this page / på denna sida - Pages ...
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
Below is the raw OCR text
from the above scanned image.
Do you see an error? Proofread the page now!
Här nedan syns maskintolkade texten från faksimilbilden ovan.
Ser du något fel? Korrekturläs sidan nu!
This page has never been proofread. / Denna sida har aldrig korrekturlästs.
49 VOYAGES OF SIR HUGH WILLOUGHBY AND OTHERS,
into our dominions, and according to his requeft hath feen our majefty and our eyes;
and hath declared unto us your majefty’s defire, as that we fhould grant unto your fub-
jects to go and come, and in our dominions, and among our fubjects, to frequent free
amarts with all forts of merchandifes, and upon the fame to have wares for their return ;
and they have alfo delivered us your letters, which declare the fame requeft. And here-
upon we have given order, that wherefoever your faithful fervant Hugh Willoughbie
Jand or touch in our dominions, to be well entertained, who as yet is not arrived, as
your fervant Richard can declare.
And we, with chriftian belief and faithfulnefs, and according to your honourable
requeft, and my honourable commandment, will not leave it undone ; and are further-
more willing that you fend unto us your ships and veflels, when and as often as they
may have paflage, with good aflurances on our part to fee them harmlefs. And if you
fend one of your majefty’s counfel to treat with us, whereby your country merchants
may, with all kinds of wares, and where they will, make their market in our dominions,
they fhall have their free mart, with all free liberties, through my whole dominions
with all kind of wares, to come and go at their pleafure, without any let, damage, or
impediment, according to this our letter, our word, and our feal, which we have com-
manded to be underfealed. Written in our dominion, in our city, and our palace in
the caftle of Mofco, in the year 7060, the fecond month of February.
This letter was written in the Mofcovian tongue, in letters much like to the Greek
letters, very fair written in paper, with a broad feal hanging at the fame, fealed in paper
upon wax. This feal was much like the broad feal of England, having on the one fide
the image of a man on horfeback, in complete harnefs, fighting with a dragon. - Under
this letter was another paper, written in the Dutch tongue, which was the interpretation
of the other, written in the Mofcovian letters. -Thefe letters were fent the next year
aiter the date of king Edward’s letters, 1554.
The Coins, Weights, and Meafures ufed in Ruffia; written by John Haff, in the year 1554.
FORASMUCH as it is moft neceffary for all merchants who feek to have traffic in any
ftrange regions, firft to acquaint themfelves with the coins of thofe lands with which
they do intend to join in traffic, and how they are called from the valuation of the
higheft piece to the loweft, and in what fort they make their payments, as alfo what their
common weights and meafures be; for thefe caufes I have thought good to write fome-
thing thereof, according to mine own knowledge and experience, to the end that the
merchants of that new adventure may the better underftand how the wealth of that
new-frequented trade will arife. ;
Firft, it is to be noted, that the emperor of Ruffia hath no other coins than filver in
all his land, which goeth for payment amongft merchants; yet notwithftanding there
is a coin of copper which ferveth for the relief of the poor in Mofco, and no where elfe,
and that is but only for quaffe, water, and fruit, as nuts, apples, and fuch other like.
The name of which money is called pole or poles, of which poles there go to the leaft
of the filver coins eighteen. But I will not ftand upon this, becaufe it is no current
money among merchants.
Of filver coins there be three forts of pieces: the leaft is a poledenga; the fecond a
denga; the third, nowgrote, which is as much to fay in Englifh, as halfpenny, penny,
and two-pence; and for other valued money than this, there is none: there are often-
times
<< prev. page << föreg. sida << >> nästa sida >> next page >>
