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| Cover illustration of Turkey And Russia: Their Races, History, and War (1878). |
Weakened though the Spanish fleet was, England was in no position
to finish it off. The politics of the
various Western European countries prevented their being drafted as active allies in
the matter. It was a brilliant and
dangerous idea to draft the Turks. They
had a large fleet, some part of it able to do combat with European vessels of
war.
The text of the letter used in all the works referenced
above has been Richard Knolles’s English translation. It is a more modern spelling version of that
translation, taken from a 19th century history text, that appears in
its entirety below[1]. A provenance of the letter will soon follow.
Most Honourable Matron of the Christian Religion, Mirror of Chastity,
adorned with the Brightness of Sovereignty and Power amongst the most chast
Women of the People which serve Jesu, Mistress of great Kingdoms, reputed of
greatest Majesty and Praise among the Nazarites, Elizabeth, Queen of England,
to whom we wish a happy and prosperous reign. You shall understand by our high
and Imperial Letters directed unto you, how that your Orator, resident in our
stately and magnificent Court, hath presented a certain writing wherein he has
certified us how that about four years ago you have made war upon the King of
Spain, for the abating and breaking of his Forces wherewith he threatneth all
other Christian Princes, and purposeth to make himself the sole Monarch both of
them and all the World beside. As also how that the same King of Spain hath by
force taken from Don Anthonio (lawfully created King of Portugal) his Kingdom ;
and that your Intention is that his ships which go and come unto the Indies may
from henceforth be embarred and stayed from that navigation; wherein are yearly
brought into Spain precious Stones, Spices, Gold and Silver, esteemed worth many
millions, where with the aforesaid King as with a great Treasure enriched, hath
means to trouble and molest all other Christian Princes; which if he shall
still proceed to do he shall daily make himself stronger and stronger, and such
as shall not be easily weakened. After that your aforesaid Orator requested our
Highness in the beginning of the next spring to send out our Imperial Fleet against him, being assured that
the King of Spain could not be able easily to withstand it, for that he had now
already received a great overthrow by your Fleet ; and being scarce able to
withstand you alone, if he should be on divers parts invaded must needs be
overcome, to the great benefit of all the
Christian Princes as also of our
Imperial State. Besides this, that whereas the aforesaid Don Anthonio is by
force driven out and deprived of his Kingdom, that we (to the imitation of our
noble Progenitors of happy Memory, whose Graves the Almighty lighten) should
also give the Aid and Succour of our Magnificent State, as did they unto all
such as had recourse to their high Courts and Palaces for relief. In brief, all
these things, with many others which your Orator hath at large declared unto
our Imperial Throne, we have well understood, and laid them up in our deep
remembrance. But forasmuch as we have for many years past made Wars in Persia,
with a full Resolution and Intent utterly to subdue the kingdom of that
accursed Persian Heretick, and to joyn the same unto our antient Dominions ;
and by the grace of God and help of our great Prophet, are now upon the point
for the satisfying of our desire ; that once done due provision shall be
assigned unto all such things as you have requested or desired. Wherefore, if
you shall sincerely and purely continue the bond of Amity and Friendship with
our high Court, you shall find no more secure or safe Harbour of good Will or
Love. So at length all things shall go well, and to your Heart's desire, in
your Wars with Spain under the shadow of our happy Throne. And forasmuch as the
King of Spain hath by Fraud and Deceit got whatsoever he heldeth, without doubt
these deceitful Deceivers shall by the Power of God in short time be despatched
and taken out of the way. In the meantime we exhort you not to lose any
opportunity, but to be always vigilant, and according to the conventions betwixt us favourable unto our Friends,
and unto our Enemies a Foe. And give notice here to our high Court of all the
new Wars which you shall understand of concerning the King of Spain, for the
behoof both of yourself and us. To be brief, your Ambassador, after he had with
all care and diligence despatched his ambassage, and left here in his place one
Edward Bardon, his Deputy and Agent, now by our leave maketh his return towards
your kingdom, being for the good and faithful service he here did, worthy to be
of you esteemed, honoured, and before others promoted ; who, when he hath
obtained of you all these his deserved Honours and Preferments, let him or some
other principal Ambassador without delay be appointed to our Imperial Court to
continue this office of Legation. This we thought good to have certified to you
under our most honourable Seal, whereunto you may give undoubted credence.—From
our Imperial Palace at Constantinople, the 15th of this blessed month Ramazan,
1589.
[1]
Gossip, Robert. Turkey And Russia:
Their Races, History, and War.
Edinburgh: Thomas C. Jack, 1878. 107-8.
Also at Virtual Grub Street:
- Amurath III and The True Tragedy of Richard III. June 11, 2018. “So then, when Professor Mott honed this information, in his 1921 paper, the shock it created was not because verities were shattered.”
- Let the sky rain potatoes! December 16, 2017. "In fact, the sweet potato had only just begun to be a delicacy within the reach of splurging poets and playwrights and members of the middle classes at the time that The Merry Wives of Windsor (the play from which Falstaff is quoted) was written. The old soldier liked to keep abreast of the new fads."
- Shakespeare's Apricocks. February 21, 2017. "While he may never have been a gardener, he does seem more than superficially knowledgeable about the gardens of his day. One detail of such matters that he got wrong, however, is as much to the point as any."
- Check out the English Renaissance Article Index for many more articles and reviews about this fascinating time and about the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
- Check out the English Renaissance Letter Index for many letters from this fascinating time, some related to the Shakespeare Authorship Question.
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