b o o k t h e prefent port of Archangel, Information o f his arrival
— v— 'being inilantly difpatched to Ivan Vaflilievitch II. the tzar
fent for him to Mofcow, diftinguiihed him with many marks
of kindnefs and attention, received in the moil favourable
manner a letter from Edward VI. * and permitted the Eng-
lifh to open a commerce with Ruiïia. Upon Chanceller’s
return to England, a Ruffian company was eftabliffied by
queen Mary ; and in the year 1555 he again repaired
to Mofcow, accompanied by feveral merchants of the incorporated
fociety. To thefe perfons the tzar, among other
confiderable privileges, granted “ a free liberty t o f trading
“ to any part of his dominions without paying any duties
“ either of export or import, that they .might exercife all
“ kind of merchandizes in his empires and, dominions, and
“ every part thereof freely and quietly without any reftraint,
“ impeachment, price, exadlion, cuftome, toll, impofition,.
“ or fubiidie.”
T h e correfpondence between Elizabeth and Ivan, and the
confidence which the latter repofed in the queen, has been
already mentioned J j and it is no wonder that the monarch
who claimed and obtained the promife of an afylum in England,
in cafe he was driven from the throne by a rebellion of
his iubjedls, ffiould confer additional immunities on the new
company. Thefe privileges, which were renewed upon different
occafions, amounted to an abfolute monopoly, “ Ivan
“ forbidding all other perfons but the members o f the faid
“ company, and all other nations but the Engliffi, to carry
“ on any traffick to any o f the northern coafts o f Ruffia §.”
* H a c k l i i y t , V o l . I . p . 2 5 3 . ...................... j , S e e V o l . I . p . 3 3 a .
t lb . p . 265, 266, da ted’ M o fc ow , 7060,. § H a c k h iy t , p . 462..
th e fécond month o f F eb ru a ry .
During
During the reign of Ivan, the Engliih trade greatly ffou- CHAP-
riihed : the company fettled colonies in different parts » f . m' ■
the empire; one at Kolmogori, where they even obtained
grants o f land, ere£ted warehoufes, and a rope-walk; others
at Novogorod and Vologda. Their chief efiabliihment was
at Mofcow, where the tzar built for their refidenee a large
brick edifice, which was called the embaffador’s houfe. The
principal merchandize which the firft Engliih ihips exported
from Ruffia. were furs and ikins, mails, flax, hemp, cordage,
tallow, train oil, tar, pitch, and leather *. The Engliih com--
modities were chiefly cloths o f all forts, cottons, and tin. Another
unexpected advantage was derived from this connexion
with Ruffia. Ivan Vaflilievitch, having conquered
the Tartars o f Cafan and Aftrachan, extended his dominions
as far as the Cafpian Sea, and thus eftabliihed a communication
with thePerflans and Bueharians t. Animated with the
hopes o f gain, the Engliih faftory obtained a patent for an
excluiive trade into Periia and Bucharia; and feveral merchants
pafled through Mofcow to the countries beyond the
Gafpian,: as wall be ihewn in the next chapter;
At the death o f Ivan, the Engliih loft their great fupport;;
and, at the acceflion of Feodor, the confirmation o f their
immunities was for feme time refufed : this refufal was
owing to the imprudence and impatience o f Sir Jerome ■
Bowes, the Engliih embaffador, who, offending by his fuper--
cilious deportment the Ruffian nobility, occafioned a revo--
cation of the patent for the monopoly o f the Ruffian
trade. In 1586, Mr. Jerome Horfey, the Engliffi agent:
at Mofcow, obtained the re-eftabliihment o f feveral im-
* H a c k lu y t , toI. I , p . 298— 306.
Ü
f Ruffian, Djfcpverie s, p . 1 8 1.
m unities^