realm, and we went one by one unto him and took him by the hand, and
then his grace did bid us go in health, and come to dinner again;
and we dined in his presence, and were set with our faces towards
his grace, and none in the chamber sat with their backs towards him,
being, I think, near a hundred at dinner then, and all served with
gold as platters, chargers, pots, cups, and all not slender, but
very massive, and yet a great number of platters of gold, standing
still on the cupboard, not moved. And divers times in the dinner-
time his grace sent us meat and drink from his own table; and when
we had dined we went up to his grace and received a cup with drink
at his own hand, and the same night his grace sent certain gentlemen
to us with divers sorts of wine and medow, to whom we gave a reward.
And afterwards we were by divers Italians counselled to take heed
whom we did trust to make the copy of the privileges that we would
desire to have for fear it should not be written in the Russian
tongue, as we did mean. So first, a Russian did write for us a
breviate to the Emperor, the tenour whereof was, that we did desire
a stronger privilege. And when the secretary saw it he did deliver
it to his grace; and when we came again his grace willed us to write
our minds, and he would see it, and so we did. And his grace is so
troubled with preparations to wars that as yet we have no answer.
But we have been required of his secretary, and of the under-
chancellor, to know what wares we have brought into the realm, and
what wares we do intend to have that are or may be had in this
realm. And we showed them; that they showed the Emperor thereof.
And then they said his grace's pleasure was that his best merchants
of the Moscow should be spoken to to meet and talk with us. And so
a day was appointed, and we met in the secretary his office, and
there was the under-chancellor, who was not past two years since the
Emperor's merchant, and not his chancellor. And then the conclusion