they were great abundance of fine karsies, of broad clothes of all sorts
and colours, as skariets, violets, and other of the finest cloth of all the
world. [Sidenote: The Venetians traffike in England.] Also, that the
Venetians brought out of England not onely such clothes ready made, but
furthermore great plenty of fine wooll to mingle with their wools, of which
they could not otherwise make fine cloth: affirming that there went out of
England yeerly that waies, aboue two hundredth thousand karsies, and as
many broad clothes, beside fine wooll and other merchandize, beside also
the great abundance of like clothes, the which were caried into Spaine,
Barbarie, and diuers other countries. The Sophie then asked him by what
means such merchandize might be brought into Persia. Right wel sir (said
he) by the way of Moscouia, with more safetie and in much shorter time then
the Venetians can bring them: first from England to Venice, and from thence
into Persia by the way of Turkie. And therefore if it shall please your
maiestie to grant vs free passage into all your dominions, with such
priuiledges as may appertaine to the safegard of our liues, goods and
merchandize, we will furnish your countries with all such merchandize and
other commodities, in shorter time, and better cheape then you may haue the
same at the Turks hands. This talke and much more was between the Sophie
and Edwards for the space of two houres: all which things liked him so
well, that shortly after he granted to the sayd Arthur Edwards other
priuiledges for the trade of merchandize into Persia, all written in Azure
and gold letters, and deliuered vnto the lord keeper of the Sophie his
great seale. The lord keeper was named Coche Califay, who sayd that when
the Shaugh (that is the king or prince) did sit to seale any letters, that
last priuiledge should be sealed and deliuered to Laurence Chapman. In this
priuiledge is one principall article for seruants or merchants: That if the
Agent do perceiue that vpon their naughtie doings, they would become
Bursormen, that then the Agent wheresoeuer he shall find any such seruant
or seruants, to take them and put them in prison, and no person to keepe