CHAP. XXXIV.

THE CHARTER OF INCORPORATION-RECITES PREPARATIONS ACTUALLY MADE FOR VOYAGES TO THE NORTH, NORTH-EAST, AND NORTH-WESTHOW FRUSTRATED-WHALE FISHERY-NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERY-THE AMBASSADOR OF THE SOPHY OF PERSIA AT MOSCOW-HIS EXPLANATION TO THE EMPEROR OF RUSSIA AS TO ENGLAND-FOLLOWED UP BY A MESSENGER TO PERSIA FROM ENGLAND WITH A LETTER TO THE SOPHY PROPOSING A COMMERCIAL INTERCOURSE.

It is only by looking closely to the terms of the Charter that we become aware of the extensive schemes of Commerce and Discovery which were contemplated, far beyond the scope of that of which the result has just been stated. The recital is as follows:

"Whereas we be credibly informed, that our right trustie, right faithfull, and welbeloved Counsailors, William Marques of Winchester Lord high Treasurer of this our Realme of England, Henrie Earle of Arundel Lord Steward of our housholde, John Earle of Bedford Lord keeper of our Privie Seale, William Earle of Pembroke, William Lorde Howard of Effingham Lorde High Admirall of our saide Realme of England, &c. have at their own adventure, costs, and charges, provided, rigged, and tackled certaine ships, pinnesses, and other meete vessels, and the same furnished with all things necessary have advanced and set forward, for to discover, descrie, and finde Isles, landes, territories, Dominions, and Seigniories unknowen, and by our subjects before this not commonly by sea frequented, which by the sufferance and grace of Almightie God, it shall chaunce them sailing Northwards, Northeastwards, and Northwestwards, or any partes thereof, in that race or course which other christian Monarches (being with us in league and amitie), have not heretofore by sea traffiqued, haunted, or frequented, to finde and attaine by their said adventure, as well for the gloric of God, as for the illustrating of our honour and dignitie royall, in the increase of the revenues of our crowne, and generall wealth of this and other our Realmes and Dominions, and of our subjects of the same, and to this intent our subjects above specified and named, have most humbly beseeched us, that our abundant grace, favour and clemencie may be gra tiously extended unto them in this behalfe. Whereupon wee inclined to the petition of the foresaide our counsailors, subjects, and Marchants, and willing to animate, advance, further and nourish them in their said Godlie, honest, and good purpose, and, as we hope, profitable adventure, and that they may the more willingly and readily atchieve the same, of our speciall grace, certaine knowledge and

meere motion, have graunted, and by these presents do graunt, for us, our heires and successors, unto our said right trustie, and right faithfull, and right welbeloved Counsailors, and the other before named persons that they by the name of Marchants Adventurers of England, for the discovery of lands, territories, Isles, Dominions and Seigniories unknowen, and not before that late adventure or enterprise by Sea or Navigation, commonly frequented as aforesaid, shalbe from henceforth one bodie and perpetuall fellowship and communitie of themselves, both in deede and in name, and them by the names of Marchants Adventurers for the discoverie of lands, territories, Isles and Seigniories unknowen, and not by the Seas, and Navigations, before their said adventure or enterprise by Sea or navigation commonly frequented. We doe incorporate, name, and declare by these presents, and that the same fellowship or communalty from henceforth shalbe, and may have one Governor of the said Fellowship and Communitie of Marchants Adventurers."

The prospects thus opened to England were doubtless overshadowed by the domestic turmoil which followed, and which separated the Noble Adventurers into virulent opposing factions. The war, too, with France, into which the country was plunged, to serve the purposes of Philip, called their attention and resources elsewhere, and it only remained to follow up the success which had dawned on the first mercantile speculations.

When we know that the extensive views of Cabot were thus controlled, and recall the sanguine expressions of his letter to Ramusio, how must our indignation kindle anew at such cruel and absurd mis-statements as those of Mr Ellis, who thus follows up the blunder on his part, already exposed, which converts the Butrigarius Conversation into a Letter from Sebastian Cabot.

"From this account we see plainly the true reason why all thoughts of a NorthWest passage were laid aside for near fourscore years. For the greatest part of this time Sebastian Cabot, Esq., in quality of governor of the Russia Company, was the great director and almost the sole manager of all our expeditions for discovery, as appears as well from the instructions drawn by him, for the direction of those who were employed to look for a North-East passage, as from several charters, commissions, and other public instruments, in which we find him mentioned with great honour, and treated as the father and founder of the English navigation. It does not indeed appear, that he ever declared in express terms, against making any further searches to the North-West; but as it is evident from the Letter of his before-mentioned that he absolutely despaired of finding such a passage, it may be fairly presumed, that during his life time, and considering the great influence he

* Hakluyt, vol. i. p. 267. ·

had in matters of this nature, no project for such a discovery would have met with any encouragement; and therefore we need not wonder, that even in that age, when hardly a year passed but some design or other, for promoting commerce and navigation was set on foot, this remained as silent and unthought of, as if it never had been proposed; or as if a single unsuccessful attempt upon a coast never before visited, had been sufficient to extinguish all hopes, and produce absolute despair of doing any good in a matter of such importance, the consequences of which were so well known to the enterprising navigators of those times."*

One of the results of the Northern Voyages was the opening the way to the Whale Fishery at Spitzbergen.†

An important Statute, 2d and 3d Edward VI. cap. 6, occurs to Newfoundland. After reciting that within the few years last past, there had been exacted by certain officers of the admiralty divers great sums of the merchants and fishermen resorting to Newfoundland and other places, “to the great discouragement and hinderance of the same merchants and fishermen, and to no little damage of the whole commonwealth," it is forbidden, "to demand of any such merchants or fishermen any sum or sums of money, doles, or shares of fish, or any other reward, benefit, or advantage whatsoever it be, for any licence to pass this realm to the said voyages or any of them."

The claims of Cabot on the gratitude of his country for having opened to it this source of wealth and power have been freely recognised :

"To come," says Sir William Monson, writing in 1610, "to the particulars of augmentation of our trade, of our plantations, and our discoveries, because every man shall have his due therein, I will begin with Newfoundland, lying upon the main continent of America, which the King of Spain challenges as first discoverer; but as we acknowledge the King of Spain the first light of the West and SouthWest parts of America, so we, and all the world must confess, that we were the first who took possession, for the crown of England, of the north part thereof, and not above two years difference betwixt the one and the other. And as the Spaniards have, from that day and year, held their possession in the West, so have we done the like in the North; and though there is no respect, in comparison of the wealth

Voyage to Hudson's Bay, &c., to which is prefixed an Historical Account, &c. by Henry Ellis, Gent. p. 8.

† Anderson's History of Commerce, vol. ii. p. 83. M'Pherson's Annals of Commerce, vol. ii. p. 115.

Ruffhead's Statutes at large, vol. ii. p. 412.

betwixt the countries, yet England may boast, that the discovery from the year aforesaid to this very day, hath afforded the subject annually, one hundred and twenty thousand pounds, and increased the number of many a good ship, and mariners, as our western parts can witness, by their fishing in Newfoundland."

"If this worthy man," says Campbell, "had performed nothing more, his name ought surely to have been transmitted to future times with honour, since it clearly appears that Newfoundland hath been a source of riches and naval power to this nation, from the time it was discovered, as well as the first of our plantations; so that, with strict justice, it may be said of Sebastian Cabot, that he was the author of our Maritime Strength, and opened the way to those improvements which have rendered us so great, so eminent, so flourishing a people."*

"By his knowledge and experience, his zeal and penetration, he not only was the means of extending the Foreign Commerce of England, but of keeping alive that Spirit of Enterprise which, even in his life time, was crowned with success, and which ultimately led to the most happy results for the nation, &c."t

Another branch of Commerce which grew out of the North-Eastern Voyages, is connected with some very curious circumstances.

Richard Chancellor informed Eden (Decades, fol. 198), that at Moscow he met the ambassador of the "Kinge of Persia, called the great Sophie," and was indebted to him for substantial favours. "The ambassador was appareled all in scarlet, and spoke much to the Duke in behalf of our men, of whose kingdom and trade he was not ignorant." It may excite a smile, at the present day, to find an Ambassador of the Sophy of Persia vouching for the commercial respectability of England; and the Russia Company itself, yet in existence, is probably not aware of the extent to which it may have been indebted to his good offices. The complacent feeling thus indicated led shortly after to the mission of Anthony Jenkinson. The Company writing to the Agent in Russia, say,‡ "We have a further hope of some good trade to be found out by Master Anthonie Jenkinson by reason we do perceive, by your letters, that raw silk is as plentiful in Persia as flax is in Russia, besides other commodities that may come from thence." One of the earliest acts of Elizabeth, after her accession, was to address a letter "To the right mightie and right victorious

• Campbell's Lives of the Admirals, art. Sebastian Cabot.

+ Barrow's Chronological History, &c. p. 36.

+ Hakluyt, vol. i. p. 307.

Prince, the great Sophie, Emperor of the Persians, Medes, Parthians, Hircans, Carmanians, Margians, of the people on this side and beyond the river of Tigris, and of all men and nations between the Caspian Sea and the Gulfe of Persia." She asks his good offices toward the Agent of the Company:

"For that his enterprise is onely grounded upon an honest intent, to establish trade of merchandise with your subjects, and with other strangers trafficking in your Realms." "We do hope that the Almightie God will bring it to pass, that of these small beginnings greater moments of things shall hereafter spring both to our furniture and honors, and also to the great commodities and use of our peoples, so that it will be knowen that neither the Earth, the Seas, nor the Heavens have so much force to separate us, as the godly disposition of natural humanity and mutual benevolence have to joyne us strongly together."*

Hakluyt, vol. i. p. 341.