ELIZABETHA Dei gratia, Angliae, Franciae, & Hyberniae Regina, fidei defensatrix, &c. Vniuersis & singulis praesentes literas visuris & inspecturis, salutem. Cùm Serenis∣simus Princeps, Ioannes Basilius, Rex, & magnus Dux Russiae, Volodiomerae, Moscoulae, & Nouogrodiae, Rex Cazani, & Astracani, Dominus Plescoae, & magnus Dux Smolenscoae, Tueri, Vgori, Permiae, Valeae, Bolharae, & aliarum ditionum: Dominus & magnus Dux No∣uogrodiae Page  456 in inferiori regione Chernigae, Rezanae, Polotscoae, Ratsauiae, Yeraslauae, Bealozeri, Liflandiae, Oudori, & Condensae, & gubernator in tota prouincia Siberiae, & partium Sep∣tentrionalium, & aliarum, frater, & Amicus charissimus, Nobilem virum, Feodor Andrewich Spisemski, nuper ad nos ablegauerit, ad certa quaedam negotia nobiscum agenda, quae hono∣rem vtrinque nostrum quàm proximè attingunt, queque rectè definiri concludíque nequeunt, nisi Ambassiatorem aliquem & oratorem ad praefatum serenissimum principem amandaue∣rimus: Hinc est, quòd nos de fidelitate, industria, prouida circumspectione, & satis magno re∣rum vsu, predilecti nobis famuli nostri, Hieronimi Bowes Militis, ex nobilibus domesticis nostris vnius, plurimùm confidentes, praefatum Hieronimum Bowes Militem, nostrum ve∣rum & indubitatum Ambassiatorem, Oratorem, & Commissarium specialem facimus, & con∣stituimus per praesentes. Dantes, & concedentes eidem Hieronimo Bowes Militi oratori no∣stro tenore praesentium, authoritatem, & mandatum, tam generale, quàm speciale, ita quòd specialitas non deroget generalitati, nec è contrà generalitas specialitati, nomine nostro, & pro nobis, cum praefato serenissimo principe, e•usque consiliarijs, & deputatis quibuscunque de praefatis negotijs & eorum singulis, tractandi, cōferendi, concludendi appunctuandí{que}, pro∣u• praefato Oratori nostro ae quum, & ex honore nostro videbitur: Nec non de, & super huius∣moditractatis, conclusis, appunctuatís{que}, caeterísque omnibus & singulis, praemissa quouismo∣do concernentibus, literas, & instrumenta valida & efficacia, nomine nostro, & pro nobis tra∣dendi, literas{que} & instrumenta consimilis vigoris & effectus, ex altera parte peten•i, & confici, & sigillari debitè procurandi, & recipiendi, & generaliter omnia, & singula praemissa qualiter∣cun{que} concernentia, faciendi, exercendi, & expediendi, in, & eodem modo, sicut nos ipsi facere∣mus, & facere possemus, si essemus praesentes, etiamsi talia sint, quae de se mandatum exigant magis speciale: promittentes bona fide, & in verbo Regio, omnia & singula, quae per praedi∣ctum Ambassiatorem, & oratorem nostrum appunctuata, promissa, conuenta, concordata, & conclusa fuerint in hac parte, nos rata & grata, & firma habituras & obseruaturas, & superinde literas nostras patentes confirmatorias, & approbatorias in forma valida, & autentica, prout o∣pus fuerit, daturas. In cuius rei restimonium, his praesentibus manu nostra signatis, magnum si∣gillum nostrum regni nostri Anglie apponi fecimus.

The same in English.

ELIZABETH by the grace of God, Queene of England, France and Ireland, defender of the faith, &c. to al and singular, to whom these presents shal come to be seen and red, greeting. Whereas the most excellent prince Iohn Basiliwich king, and great duke of all Russia, Volodo∣mer, Moscouie, and Nouogrod, king of Cazan and Astracan, lord of Plesco, and great duke of Smolensco, of Tuer, Vgor, and Permia, Valca, Bolhar and others, lord great duke of Nouogrod in the low country, of Cherniga, Rezan, Polotsco, Rostoue, Yeraslaue, Bealozera, Lie••and, Ou∣dor, Obdor and Condensa, and gouernour of al the land of Siberia, and of the North parts and o∣ther, our most deare brother and friēd did of late send vnto vs one Feodor Andrewich Spisemsky, a noble man of his, to deale with vs in certaine speciall businesses, respecting very neerely the ho∣nour of either of vs, and being such as without the speeding of some Ambassadour of ours to the foresaid most excellent prince, cannot be sufficiently determined and cōcluded: For this cause we hauing great cōfidence in the fidelitie, industrie, prouident circumspection and conuenient experi∣ence of our welbeloued seruant Ierome Bowes knight, a gentleman of qualitie of our housholde, do by these presents make and constitute the foresaid Ierome Bowes knight our true & vndoub∣ted Ambassadour, Orator and special commissio•er, giuing and graunting to the same Ierome Bowes knight, our Orator, by the vertue of these presents authoritie and commandement, as wel general as special, so that the special shall not preiudice the generall, nor on the other side the ge∣neral the special, to intreat, conferre, conclude, and appoint in our name, and for vs with the fore∣said most excellent prince and his counsellers and deputies whatsoeuer, concerning the foresaide businesses, and ech of them, according as it shall seeme good, and for our honour to our foresaide Orator, as also of and vpon such things intreated, concluded and appointed, as in all and singular other things, any maner of way concerning the premisses, to deliuer in our name and for vs, suffi∣cient and effectual letters and instruments, and to require letters & instruments of the like validi∣tie and effect of the other part, and to procure them lawfully to bee made and sealed, and then to receiue them, and generally to doe, execute, and dispatch al and singular other things concerning the premisses, in, and after the same maner, as we our selues would and might do if we were pre∣sent, although they be such things as may seeme of themselues to require a more speciall com∣mandement: Page  457 promising in good faith and in the word of a prince, that we will hold and obserue all and singular the things which by our Ambassador aforesayd shall be appointed, promised, agreed, accorded and concluded in this behalfe, as lawfull, gratefull, and firme, and thereupon as need shall require, will giue our letters patents, confirmatory and approbatory, in forme effectuall and autenticall. In witnesse whereof, we haue caused our great seale of our kingdome of England to be put to these presents, and signed them with our owne hand.