'¦'Si^^M

Si^rturei A - SJjj^ct.

Snm. Asjwiu^sra" SsiiEiaiLiigy „

''/r/ii It .),->/h-/- J^XtiX/^^

THE THREE BROTHERS
...
OE,
THE TRAVELS and ADVENTURES
OF
SIR ANTHONY, SIR ROBERT, & SIR THOMAS
SHERLEY,
IN PERSIA, RUSSIA, TURKEY, SPAIN, Etc.
WITH PORTRAITS.

LONDON:
PRINTED FOR HURST, ROBINSON, & CO.
90, CHEArSlDE, & 8, PALL MALL;
AND A. CONSTABLE & Co. EDINBURCiH.
f — ; 
1825.

LONDON :
Printed by D, S. Maurice, Fenchurch Street.

PREFACE.

The biography of Sir Anthony and Sir Robert
Sherley being scattered over many different vo
lumes, some in manuscript, and some in print,
their travels and adventures are, in general, little
known, and have, in consequence;, sometimes, been
confounded together. But the little that was
known of adventures so novel and so extraor
dinary, having at different times excited a desire
for more accurate and detailed information, a
late publisher determined to collect whatever
could be discovered relating to them. For this
purpose all accessible sources of information have
been explored, and the various particulars col
lected are now brought together. For the most
part, the several portions extracted from different

works are given in the words of the authors;
and, although necessarily exhibiting various
styles of composition, it is hoped they will be
considered as forming an entertaining whole.
Notwithstanding the accounts now extant of
the Travels of Sir Thomas Sherley are of a much
less striking kind than those of his younger
brethren, it was thought that this small volume
would be rendered more complete, by adding so
much of them as could be obtained ; which has,
accordingly, been done.

Sn^myatt fyJi.Coi^*ir

'S^AWS TIEIE3ESEA SMEKILiIEir..

-^iV/.'/^ ~.r^i'.'!fy(^, J /i.^/^ -^-^iy^

jMirstaaif asrsiat®^ -saHg

rS^4*

THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES

SIR ANTHONY, SIR ROBERT, AND SIR THOMAS
SHERLEY.

The author of "The Genealogies of the Sherley
Family," a Latin manuscript in the British Museum,
inhis enthusiastic attachment to that house, traces it
from the time of Edward the Confessor, in the male
line, to the illustrious scions above named, and as
sures us that it has had the honor to be allied not
only to the royal blood of England, both Saxon
and Norman, but likewise to that of France, Scot
land, Denmark, Arragon, Leon, Castile, the sacred
Roman Empire, and almost all the princely houses
in Christendom; and amongst the English nobility
to the Dukes of Norfolk and Buckingham, Earls of
Arundel, Oxford, Northumberland, Shrewsbury,
Kent, Derby, -Worcester, Huntingdon, Pembroke,
Nottingham, Suffolk, Berkshire, and the Barons of

2 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Berkley : and if we are to believe him, their achieve
ments have been as noble and as various as their al
liances. The actions of the three brothers of that
house, whose lives and adventures are the subject of
these pages, deserve to be placed by the side of those
of the most illustrious of their progenitors. Perhaps
no three persons of one family ever experienced ad
ventures atthe same time so uncommon and^o inter
esting. Sir Thomas, Sir Anthony, and Sir Robert
Sherley, were the sons of Sir Thomas Sherley of Wis-
neston, or Wiston, in Sussex, by Anne his wife, the
daughter of Sir Thomas Kemp, Knight. As Sir Tho
mas Sherley, though the first in age, was the last in
distinguishing himself, "men's acti-vity," as Fuller
says, " not always foUovring the method of their re
gister," we shall so far invert the order of chronology
as to end instead of beginning with him.
Anthony Sherley, the second son, was bom about
1565. He was sent to Hart Hall, Oxford, where he
was matriculated in 1579, was admitted Bachelor of
Arts in 1581, and, in November in the same year,
elected Probationer of All SouU' College, being re
lated to the founder of this College by his mother's
side ; but he left the University, without taking the de
gree of Master of Arts*. " In my first years," says he,

• Fuller, Wood, Birch.

OF THE THKEE SHERLEYS. 3
in the " Relation of his Travels*,'' " my friends be
stowed on me those learnings which were fit for a
gentleman's ornament, without directing them to an
occupation; and when they were fit for agible things,
they bestovped them and me on my prince's service,
in which I ran many courses of divers fortunes, ac
cording to the condition of the wars, in which, as I
was most exercised, so was I most subject to acci
dents. With what opinion I carried myself (since
the causes of good or ill must be in myself, and that
a thing vpithout myself) I leave it to them to speak ;
my places yet in authority, in those occasions were
ever of the best ; in which, if I committed error it
was contrary to my will, and a weakness in my judge
ment ; which, notwithstanding, I ever industriated

* " Sir Anthony Sherley, his Relation of his Travels into Per
sia, the Dangers and Distresses which befel him in his Passage,
both by Sea and Land, and his strange and unexpecte.d Deliver
ances, his magnificent Entertainment in Persia, liis honorable
Imployment there-hence as Embassadour to the Princes of Christ-
endome, the Cause of his Disappointment therein, with his Ad
vice to his Brother, Sir Robert Sherley. Also a true Relation of
the great Magnificence, Valour, Prudence, Justice, Temperance,
and other manifold "Virtues of Abas, now King of Persia, with his
great Conquests, whereby he hath enlarged his Dominions. —
Penned by Sir A. Sherley, and recommended to his Brother, Sir
Robert Sherley, being now in Prosecution of the like honorable
Imployment. — London : Printed for Nathaniel Butter, and Joseph
Bagfet 1613."

4 THE ,TB,AVELS AND ADVENTURES
myself to make perfect, correcting my own oversights
by the most virtuous examples I could make choice
of: amongst which, as there was not a subject of
more worthiness and virtue, for such examples to
grow fi:om, than the ever-living in honour and con
dign estimation, the Earl of Essex, as my reverence
and regard to his rare qualities was exceeding ; so
I desired (as much as my humility might answer,
with such an eminency) to make him the pattern of
my civil life, and fi:om him to draw a worthy model
of all my actions. And as my true love to him
did transform me from my many imperfections, to
be, as it were, an imitator of his virtues ; so his
affection was such to me, that he was not only
contented I should do so, but in the true nobleness
of his mind gave me liberally the best treasure of
his mind in counselling me; his fortune to help
me forward ; and his very care to bear me up in all
those courses, which might give honour to myself
and inworthy the name of his friend."
Sir Anthony first embarked in the wars in the
Low Countries, where he had a command, and
was present at the battle of Zutphen in 1586. He
appears also to have been engaged in the war in
France, and probably accompanied the Earl of
Essex when he was sent with a body of four thou
sand men to the assistance of the King of France

OF THE THKEE SHERLEYS. 5
against the Confederates of the League. As a reward
for his services, Henry the Fourth bestowed the or
der of St. Michael upon him, to the great displea
sure of Queen Elizabeth, who said, that as a vir
tuous woman ought to look on none but her hus
band, so a subject ought not to cast his eyes on
any other sovereign than him God had set over him.
" I will not," said she, " have my sheep marked with
a strange brand ; nor suffer them to follow the pipe
of a strange shepherd*." She immediately com
manded Sir John Puckering and Lord Buckhurst
to inquire into the circumstances of the alleged
breach of allegiance, who made the following Report
on the subject : —
" Touching Sir Anthony Sherley and the Order of
St. Michael :
" To our very good and honourable friend, Sir
John WooUey, Knight, of her Majesty's
Privy Council.
" After our very hearty commendations, according
to her Majesty's commandment we have called be
fore us Mr. Anthony Sherley; and having strictly
examined him, and required him upon his allegiance
truly to declare the manner of his acceptance of the

Harris's Li/ii of Charles the Second.

6 THE TKAVELS AND ADVENTURES
order of knighthood of St. Michael, he answered,
That, when the French King did offer the same un
to him, he refused it, being minded never to accept
thereof: and afterward the Duke of Bouillon and
Monsieur De Sancy told him that, if he did not ac
cept of the King's honourable offer, the King would
take it in ill part, and to be done to his dishonour :
but not being persuaded to accept thereof, he repair
ed to her Majesty's Ambassador, who advised him
to refuse the same if he could ; but if he were earn
estly pressed, and could not refuse it, then to accept
it vfithout the oath, reserving always his duty and
service to her Majesty : and, being afterwards earn
estly pressed by the King, he did accept the said
order of knighthood ; and, kneeling, (his hands be
tween the King's,) the statutes of the order being read,
he took the oath, sa-ving always his duty and allegi
ance to her Majesty ; and made no account of the
said order otherwise than to satisfy the King's plea
sure therein. And being sharply reprehended by us
for accepting that order, to the dividing of his ser
vice by oath given to another' Prince, notvrithstand-
ing the reserving of his allegiance and duty to her
Majesty, without her Highness' pleasure being first
known, he saith he is heartily sorry for his offending
her Majesty therein, having never any meaning to have
offended her Majesty thereby. We have committed

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 7
him close prisoner in the Fleet until her Majesty
shall otherwise command. We have also called be
fore us Sir Thomas Sherley, the father, and charged
him that he hath encouraged his son herein, and
hath persuaded him to take the place and precedence
of other Knights. He answereth, That he hath not
any ways encouraged him, but hath counselled and
charged him to be very curious and circumspect in
taking place to the offence of any, and is most heartily
sorry that his son hath thus done, to the offence of
her Majesty. Which our doings, according to our
duties, we desire you to let her Majesty understand,
until ourselves may vfait on her Highness, to make
more particular relation thereof. And so we bid
you right heartily farewell, this 12th of March 1593.
" Your very loving friends,
"Jo. Puckering, C.J.
" T. Buckhurst."
This does not appear to have been satisfactory,
and a fiirther examination took place, the result of
which is communicated by Mr.Carewinthe succeed
ing letter : — « 14th of March, 1593.
" Being sent fiom the Lord Keeper and the Lord
Buckhurst unto Mr. Sherley in the Fleet, to under
stand what oath he took at the receiving of the order

8 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
of St. Michael, and the manner thereof; at the first I
willed him to set down in writing as much of it as
he could call to his remembrance ; and thereupon he
wrote a side of a leaf of paper, containing in effect
these things : —
" That oath he took none, for he only made an
swer to the King's demands, and had no book pre
sented him to swear by.
" That the King's demands were two. 1st; That
he would promise never to bear arms against him
for the service of any prince Christian, but only his
sovereign, or by her commandment. 2d ; That he
should never spot himself with any infamy unworthy
of so high an order. Both which he promised to
perform. " This, upon his Iffe and reputation, he affirmeth
to be all, being so short a matter to be remembered,
that he doth assure the truth of the report thereof
" But, supposing that so short a report would give
little satisfaction; I desired him that I inight set
down from his mouth by my writing some more cir
cumstances' and particularities, the which he grant
ed : and then upon my questions unto him (which I
framed from a copy of the manner of receiving of
that order by the Duke of Norfolk and Earl of Lei
cester, in anno 1566, that I had of Mr. Garter, by my
Lord Keeper's direction,) he answered as follows : —

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 9
" That the King, at ten of the clock in the night,
sent for him into his cabinet by le premiere Secretadre
de Navarre ; and, at his coming thither, he found with
the king the L. Chancellor, who is also Chancellor
of the order, the Bishop of Bourges Aat is Prelate of
the order, Le Sieur de Beaulieu, that is Secretary of
the order and of estate, Le Sieur de Sancy, Mons.
Le Grand, and sundry other gentlemen, the Notary of
the order, (that afterwards entered his name into the
register,) and the four ushers of the same.
" That being come into that presence, the King, be
fore them all, declared the good opinion his ma
jesty held of him, the love he had towards him, and
the good service he had done unto his highness;
for requital whereof, when he came to be peace
able King of France, he should receive further recom-
pence. In the mean time his majesty would be
stow an honour upon him, by the receiving whereof,
the King assured him he should be tied to use no
ceremony. " Thirdly ; That the form of giving the said order
was in this sort : First ; his spurs and sword wer
taken from about him, then he kneeled down and
putting his hands within the King's, Monsr. Beaulieu,
the Secretary of the order, made unto him, in the
King's name, the two demands aforementioned in his
own declaration. Then the King himself asked him,

to THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
'promettez vents cela T his answer was, ' mi. Sire, je
le promets.' Then the King drew out his sword, and
laid it on Mr. Sherley's shoulder, saying, ' Sayez Che
valier de St. Michael au -nom -de St. George, car vaus
Vavez Ken meriti,' And whiles he was yet kneeling,
the King put on his sword about him himself ; but his
spurs were put on by the Sieur Rocolour, Premiere
Gentlehomme de la Garderobe. That done, the King
kissed him on both his cheeks, and, at his rising again,
put on about his neck the lace and collar of St.
Michael that he wore himself. And these things, be
sides the paying of fees, were all the ceremonies.
" Fourthly; I asked him whether the book of
the statutes of the order were not read unto him
at the time of his creation. His answer was, —
That he receiving the order in the night, because the
next morning he was purposed to have gone away,
by the break of day, with the convoy of the Duke
Mempensier, the book containing the said Statutes be
ing at the Chancellor's house, two leagues from Char-
tres, was not then sent for; but, afterwards, the Count
Chiverny, the Chancellor's son, shewed it unto him,
being a little book, of some twenty leaves, written in
letters, wherein, to his remembrance, here is nothing
contained which may not be referred to one of these
two heads set down in his declaration, being for
the most part matters of honour, touching the defence

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 11
of ladies and orphans, and committing no crimes
nor base acts, &c.
" Lastly; I asked him, whether he gave any in
strument in writing of the acceptation of the order,
because there were such given in the creation of 1566;
but his answer was, that he gave none, nor that there
was not any required of him, which seemeth to stand
with good reason, for in the former creation being
done by commission, by Mons. Rambouillet, such an
acceptation in writing was requisite, but in this, be
ing done in the King's presence, superfluous.
" This is as much as I could learn of him, and to
testify the truth thereof, I have his own hand to two
blotted papers, the substance of both which I have
contained in this.
M. J. Puckering. "George Carew.''
His imprisonment was probably of no long dura
tion : he was, however, deprived of the offensive
order.* Sir Anthony did not remain long in a state
of inacti-vity ; he projected an expedition to the Isle
of St. Thome, under the patronage of the Earl of Es
sex, who undertook to procure him a commission
from the Queen for the purpose. There is reason
to think that he was incited to this adventure by

* Sandford's Geneal. Hist.

12 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
his domestic infelicity, as well as by a spirit of en
terprize. He had married Frances, the sister of Sir
Robert Vernon, of Hodnet, Knight;* but his mar
riage was unhappy, as appears from a letter of Row
land Whyte to Sir Robert Sidney, dated the 7th
November, 1595. His words are, " Sir Anthony
Sherley goes forward on his voyage very well fur
nished, led, by the strange fortune of his marriage,
to undertake any course that may occupy his mind
from thinking on her vainest words."f
Sir Anthony ha-ving applied to Mr. Bacon for his
interest in forwarding the commission, the latter
wrote to him, on the 28th March, 1596, to return
him thanks for his kindness and confidence towards
him ; " whom," says he, " you shall find more care
ful, by all true and due effects to me possible, of
faithful friendship to conserve your love, than to re
cover my health, though it be the soul of this life."
He then adds, " I have received your honourable
rich token by your man, and have consigned it ac
cording to your appointment, assuring you, that the
presentation of it shall be accompanied from us both
with all respects correspondent to your worthy me
rit. I may not omit, for mine own discharge, to
certify ypu, that this day I have remembered and

t Sidney's Letters.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 13
recommended the expedition of your commission,
mentioned at your departure, to my most honour
able good lord, whose answer was, that he was mind
ful of it, and looked to hear from you about it."
Sir Anthony Sherley the next day returned an an
swer from Southampton, that he would never fail to
render to Mr. Bacon, the truest testimonies of his
entire thankfulness for that gentleman's honourable
kind favours, which his own fortune should be at
any time able to bring forth; "which," says he,
" shall be honourably given, and my life too, for to be
disposed by your commandments, and my best
prayers for your health, the perfect recovery of which
would be more true contentment to my soul, than
my life. For the token, which it hath pleased you,
in the nobleness of your own mind, to persuade the
acceptance of, better than in itself it was worthy, I
will be ready to better by a, more effectual service, if
my desires may at any time find honourable means,
for which I assure myself, that I shall never fail of
the counsel of your judgment, which shall ever be
the stern to govern all my courses. Lastly; I must
also discharge myself to you of my thanks, apart, for
your remembering me to my Lord of Essex, to whom
I have written about that commission, which I hope
and have need to receive presently. To present you
with a faithful profession of my service, I should but

14 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
revive a deed of long date, and confirm with my
truest-hearted intent; only I beseech you to recom
mend me, where I know you will, as I -will you, to
all the best and worthiest fortunes, which your ex
ceeding noble virtues may most justly claim."
Mr. Bacon having procured a commission from
the Earl of Essex, sent it to Sir Anthony Sherley,
but the latter, disliking it, returned it to Mr. Bacon
with a letter, on the 3rd of April, in which he ob
served, that the confidence he had in that gentle
man's judgment and love, made him send back that
commission, desiring him to consider of it, and re
deliver it to the giver. " For if," says he, " I desired
a commission from my lord of Essex, it was to fur
nish me with authority to govern this heap of con
fused people, which I have here gathered together,
that are more subject than any people to fall into
extreme disorders ; in which point you shall find me
not at all assisted. And then, for increase of cre
dit, which men that have commissions ordinarily
assume from them, you shall find me so scanted by
my title for myself, and so restrained for my fi-iends
which go vfith me, that, tf I receive it, I must either
diminish unto them the place which I have given
them, or else equal others to mine, since, by my
commission, I am restrained to one regiment, and I
have already divided my companies into two. Sir,

OP THE THREE SHERLEYS. 15
I have told you how much I have been afilicted for
the opinion of my lord of Essex's coldness towards
me, only for the truth of mine own zeal and affection
towards him, which I do find so far from respect,
that it is not only hea-vy to my mind, but to my for
tune, which receive no manner of grace from him;
I have found, since my coming, my business thwarted
by the mayor, and hindered by other devices, as
much as malice and such authority could. I have
cried out to my lord, I have implored his letters ;
and I have not received one so much as unto myself,
but only this poor commission, which doth but dimi
nish the reputation of what I am. -Wherefore, as I
first said unto you, the assured knowledge which I
have of your wisdom and affection to me, makes me
bold to send it unto you, to be re-delivered to my
lord of Essex, in such terms as I know you are fur
nished with, both fit for him and for me." In the
postscript, he desires Mr. Bacon not to urge the Earl
for any other commission, since he would content
himself vfith what grace he could do himself The
same day, the Earl himself wrote the following letter
to Sir Anthony Sherley, from Dover, whither his
lordship had been sent by the Queeii, upon the
Archduke Albert's having laid siege to Calais, after
a feint march to the relief of La Fere. " Cousin, the

16 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
news of the siege of Calais hath made me be posted
down to this place, whence I have sent Sir Conyers
Clifford, to see whether he can go in and see the
state of the town. And I have also sent a gentle
man to Boulogne, to see what means they do prepare
on that side to succour Calais. I do look for an an
swer from both places by to-morrow morning, and
on Monday vfill return to Greenwich, fi-om whence
I will send you some money the next day. For if I
had had but one hour more of stay at London, I had
furnished you ; but upon Wednesday you shall hear
from me at the farthest. I pray you send me word,
both hither and to the court, in what forwardness you
are, for my stay here is uncertain. And so wishing
to you as to myself, I rest your most affectionate cou
sin, Essex.''
The zeal which Mr. Bacon had shov^n in Sir
Anthony Sherley's business, induced Sir Thomas
Sherley, his father, to write him a letter of thanks
on that account, dated from Whitefriars, on the 4th
of April, 1596, inclosing one from his son to him
self, expressing his great obligations to Mr. Bacon,
whom Sir Tliomas professed to honour, and to reve
rence his virtues. The next day, Sir Anthony wrote
another letter from Southampton to Mr. Bacon, by
a gentleman, whom he sent to him about two things,

OF" THE THREE SHERLEYS. 17
-which concerned the effecting of his business. And
on the 9th of April, a commission was sent to Sir
Ahtliony from the two generals, the Earl of Essex
and the Lord - Admiral, empowering him to levy,
arm, &c. men not exceeding the number of one tiiou-
sand five hundred, and appointing him captain and
commander of all such ships and vessels, as were set
forth, at the charge of Sir Thomas Sherley, her Ma
jesty's treasurer at war, and Sir Anthony Sherley,
in the designed expedition. Sir Anthony was still
at Southampton on the l2th of April, wheii he wrote
to Mr. Bacon, that he had heard that the Earl's great
journey was shortened to Calais, and that he hoped
by this means his own voyage should receive li
berty to proceed ; recommending to Mr. Bacon his
brother Croftes, whose advancement in honour he
desired as a large increase to his own fortune. "My
absence," says he, " from him, from whom it should
be derived, next to' his own worth, makes me run tb
your favour, as the relieving sanctuary of all that
troubles me." In the postscript, he added, that he
had just received a letter from his brother Croftes,
mentioning the sickness of the Lady Ch^yney ; on
which account, he requested Mr. Bacon to strengthen
that gentleman's resolution to stay with her, and to
give him probable assurance' by the Earl's love to
her, favour to Sir Anthony, and good disposition to

18 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Mr. Croftes, that though the present act of honour
be deferred, yet it should not fell.*
The commission being at length completed, Sir
Anthony proceeded on his voyage ; a brief narra
tion of which is given in Hackluyt, in the following
words." A true relation of the Voyage undertaken by Sir
Anthony Sherley, Knt. Armo 1596, intended for
the Isle of St. Tomfe, but performed to St. Jago,
Dominica, Margarita, along the coast of Terra
Firma, &c.
" We arrived at Plymouth the 29th April, where
we found the Right Honble the Earl of Essex ready
for the attempt of his Cadiz action, with whom our
general left three ships, and five hundred soldiers,
well victualled and furnished. So, the 21st May, we
departed from Plymouth with the Bevis,the Gallion,
the George, the George Noble, the Wolf, and the
Galley. On the 27th May, came in sight of the coast
of Spain, thence passed in sight of the coast of Bar
bary, and came to Magasant, where the Spaniards
have a garrison. Bending their course to the Canary
Isles to water, the Galley lost her rudder. Having

' Biich's Memoirs, vol. i. p. 455.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 19
watered at the Canaries, sailed for the Gape de Verd
Isles, expecting to meet the fleet of St. Tomfe. While
on the coast of Guinea, the water from the heavens
did stink, and in six hours turned into maggots
where it fell, either among our clothes or wads of
oakum*. The town of St. Jago being taken by Sir
Anthony Sherley, he sailed to the Isle of Fuego, a very
small isle, with a very high hill in the midst, that
continually burnetii, invincible by nature. One night
we had a shower of ashes, which fell so thick into
our ships from that burning hill of Fviego, that you
might -write your name with your finger upon the
upper deck. At Dominica Isle we found excellent
hot baths, which refreshed the men; from thence
sailed to Margarita, expecting to meet the pearl
dredgers, but found them not. Going from thence
for Cape de la Vela, the fly boat was cast away, and
some of the men lost. Took Santa Martha— the
Wolf again forsook us, with a small bark taken at
St. Jago — and returned for England, with hard news
of our ruin : but, by God's favourable help, we ar
rived in the road of Jamaica, 29th January, which is

* " This." says Fuller, " made hira turn his course to America,
where he took and kept the city of St. Jago two days and nights,
with two hundred and eighty men, (whereof eighty were wounded
in the service,) against three thousand Portugals !"

20 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
dangerous to enter, by reason of shoals and rocks
that lie before it. Here we landed, and marched six
miles into the country, where the town standeth ; the
people, all on horseback, made show of great mat
ters, but did nothing. Now being masters of the
whole isle, the people submitted themselves to our
general's mercy, and here they provided for us great
store of dried beef and cassavi meal, a base food, yet
the best that the country yieldeth. This isle is a
marvellous fertile isle, and is as a garden or store
house for divers parts of the main. It is full of plain
champaign ground, which in the rest of the Indies
we have not seen ; it aboundeth with beeves and
cassavi, besides most pleasant fruits of divers sorts :
we have not found in the Indies a more pleasant and
wholesome place.
The general's intention was to have gone to New
foundland, from thence for the streights of Magellan,
and so to return by the East Indies. Being athwart
Havannah, all his ships forsook him, tlie 13th May,
Our misery in the Admiral was very great, for tlieve
was not one in the ship that was ever before in the
Indies ; besides our miserable want of ^^ctuals, tlie
dangers of the place, and the ftirious current of the
channel. Notvpithstanding, we were forced ^vithout
stay to disembogue, which happily being performed,
we shaped our course for Newfoundland, and, by

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 21
God's mercy, we arrived there the 15th June, not
having one hour's victuals to spare, and there by
our countrymen we were well refreshed ; where we
stayed till die 24th June, still expecting tlie Gallion ;
but she not coming, and that plot overthrown, we
returned for England, where we found the Right
Honble the Eai-l of Essex bound to the seas, with
whom we presently departed in his lordship's ship,
to do him our humble service."*
He returned from this voyage in June, 1597, and
proceeded to London, attended by a numerous train
of followers. When Essex was appointed Lord
Lieutenant, Sir Anthony accompanied him to Ire-
land,f and there, according to Wood, received the
honour of knighthood from his patron.
In the winter of 1598-9, Sir Anthony, " accompa
nied with divers soldiers of approved valour,'' was
sent by the Earl to assist Don Cesare D'Este, the
illegitimate son of the Duke of Ferrara, then lately
dead, against the Pope, who laid claim to the Prin
cipality ; but, before he arrived, the subrnission of
the Duke to the Pope had put an end to the war.
" Which," says Sir Anthony, " when I had adver
tised the Earl of, as he, who never had his own

» Hackluyt's Voyages, vol. iii. p. 508  Edit. 1600.
1 Birch.

22 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
thoughts limited within any bounds of honorable and
just ambition ; so he also desired, that those whom
he had chosen into a nearness of affection, should
also answer both his own conceit of them, and sa
tisfy the world in his election of them : wherefore,
not willing I should return, and turn such a voice
as was raised of my going to nothing, as unwil
ling that I should, by a vain expense of my time,
money and hope, be made a scorn to-his and (through
him) to my enemies ; he proposed unto me (after a
small relation, which I made unto him fi-om Venice)
the voyage of Persia, gioonding of it upon two
points." First; To endeavour to prevail upon the
King of Persia to unite -with the Christian princes
against the Turks; and, secondly, To establish a
commercial intercourse between this country and the
East. With these grand objects. Sir Anthony min
gled some private designs of his ovm. " Having,
with these advertisements, received strength to my
own mind, large means and letters of favour and
credit to the company of merchants at Aleppo ; with
out opening the secrets of my deliberation to any, as
fearing the strange humour of the world rather in
clined to mis-judge of all actions, than to give them
only a charitable construction ; not willing to be
scorned if. it effected not, and assuring myself of all
sort of reputation if it proceeded well, I embarked

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 23
myself at Venice for Aleppo, in a Venetian ship,
called the Morizell, the four-and-twentieth of May,
1599," accompanied with twenfy-five followers, most
of them gendemen.
Of this expedition, a brief account was published
by William Parry, one of his followers, another by
himself, a third by an anonymous author, and a
fourth was written by George Manwaring, also one
of liis attendants. Of these works. Parry's is a very
brief account, and Sir Anthony's own relation was
written rather for the purpose of displaying his
knowledge on the subject of government and politics,
than of describing his adventures ; and abounds more
with pompous arguinentation, and tedious ethical re
flections, than with interest or amusement. Man-
waring's is the most circumstantial and amusing nar
rative, but terminates at an earlier period than those
of Parry and the anonymous author. — ^With Man-
waring, therefore, we shall begin. The greater part
of this manuscript was originally printed in the
second volume of the Retrospective Review, and
the remainder is now, for the first time, made pub
lic.
A True Discourse of Sir Anthony Sherley's Travel
into Persia, what accidents did happen in the
way, both going thither and returning backy with

24 THE, TRAVELS A.N D A DVLNTUKES
the business he was employed in from the Sophi :
written by George Manwaring, Gent, who attended
on Sir Anthony all the Journey.
The first attempt of the voyage was this. Sir An
thony, understanding of wars like to have happened
between the Duke of Ferrara and the Pope, and
hearing the duke to be a gallant man, and further he
had notion that the duke had sent unto the French
king for some good commanders, thought he could
not spend his time better than to go and aid the duke
with his service in the war; and, for this cause, did
take his leave of England for a time. We were first
embarked at a small port town in Essex, and • ar
rived at Flushing, iri the Low Countries, where,
the next day, we were worthily feasted by the go
vernor, the Lord Sidney, and likewise at Middel-
burg, by our English merchants ; ¦ from thence we
did take our journey to Douay, where Count Mau
rice did keep his court, who, in like sort, did roy
ally entertain us, giving us a warrant to take Sir
Nicholas Parker's troop of horse, who Uien did lie
at Doesburg, which trooii of horse did convoy-us
through the enemies' country to Cologne, and dien
left us; from Cologne we took waggon and horses
to Nuremburg, in Germany, and from Nuremburg
to Augusta, where we had news tliat the Duke of

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 2,5
Ferrara had submitted himself to the Pope,, and, the
wars were ended : yet Sir Anthony did encourage
us vpith comfortable words, assuring us, that if we
would follow him, and arm ourselves to take the ad
venture which he did purpose, we should all gain
honour, and greaUy enrich ourselves. From Au
gusta we took post horses to Venice, where we did
solace ourselves almost three months, in which .time
Sir Anthony did send his brother, Mr. Robert Sher
ley, of some business to the Duke of Florence, who
used him very honourably, giving him a chain of
gold, valued to the worth of sixteen hundred French
crowns ; and in that time we lay in .Venice, Sir An
thony did fall in some conversation with a Persian
merchant, which did traffic in Venice for the King of
Persia, for such commodities as were wanting in his
own country, which was English cloth, both wool
len and hnen. This merchant told Sir Anthony of
the royalty of the Sophi, his king, which pleased Sir
Anthony very well ; yet not resolved to go thither,
but to take his voyage another way : but, in the same
¦city of Venice, it was his fortune to. hear i of .a, great
traveller, newly come to Venice from the Sophi's
couit, whose name was Angelo, born in Turkey, but
a good Christian, who had travelled sixteen years,
and did speak twenty-four kind of languages. This
Angelo did likewise acquaint Sir Anthony of the

26 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
worthiness of the King of Persia, that he was a gal
lant soldier, very bountiful to strangers, and what
entertainment he had at his court ; assuring Sir An
thony, that, if he would go thither, it would be greatly
for his advancement ; and moreover, that he would
be his guide, and attend on him thither, which Sir
Anthony did consent unto, yet kept it very close, for
fear it should be known in Turkey, because we must
pass through that country, and the great Turk and
the King of Persia being not great friends, but only
for a league for three years, which was all expired.
So we left Venice, and went to Malamoco, some
five miles from Venice, where we found divers ships :
amongst the rest, there was an argosy bound for
Scanderoon, where we did embark ourselves, pay
ing a large price for our passage, but the wind was
contrary, that we were twenty-four days in sailing
to Zante, which was not half the -way ; where, if the
wind had served us, -we might have been at Scan
deroon in that time. But, in the way, before we
came to Zante, there was a passenger in the ship,
which used some disgracefiil words against our late
queen ; whereupon, Sir Anthony caused one of his
meanest sort of men to give him the bastinado, which
he did very soundly : whereupon, he made such a ter
rible cry, that the captain of the ship, with the passen
gers and the seafaring men, rose up in arms against us,

or THE THREE SHERLEYS. 27
they being to the number of two hundred and fifty,
and all our company not above twenty-six ; yet we
did witlistand, neither was tliere any hurt done, by
reason of three Armenian merchants, which did stand
between us, and entreated a peace, which the Italians
did first consent unto : in the end, we arrived at
Zante, where Sir Anthony and all we ofhis company
went ashore for victuals, in regard all our provision
was spent. -VVien we were departed forth of the
ship, they sent after us those things we had left be- -
hind, and mounted their ordnance against us, swear
ing, if we did offer to come aboard the ship any
more, they would sink us. 'Wliereupon, Sir Anthony
complained to the governor of the place, but could
have no remedy ; so we lost our passage, and were
ctJnstrained to stay in Zante ten days for shipping,
with great hindrance to om- voyage and expenses,
but that the English merchants did use us somewhat
kindly. This Zante is an island belonging to the Ve
netians ; the city is situated on the side of a hill,
extremely hot ; the land yieldeth great store of cur
rants ; the people are Greek for the most part, with
some Italians, Venetians, and likewise Jews ; it is a
place well known to our English merchants, there
fore I need not write any more of it. So, after we
had passed away the time for ten days' space, we
embarked in a small ship, and so took our leaves of

28 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Zante, where, the next day after, we being not well
stored with fresh water, we did put into an island,
to fill our vessels with water, because, in the island
of Zante, water was vety scarce. I will show you a
reason why : — one day, being in Zante, I was extreme
dry, and, being, in a merchant's house, I desired a
cup of water to drink of one of his servants; the
merchant hearing me, told me I should drink viine
so much as I would, for his water was dearer unto
him than his wine ; I thought it a very strange thing.
Well, now to the island, where we went for fresh
water, a place worth the noting. It is a small thing,
but a very pleasant little village, not plentifiil for
corn, yet very fruitful of all things else, as apricots,
oranges, lemons, pomgranates, grapes of all sorts,
with many other fruits ; there is but an only castle
in the island, which is inhabited with no other kind
of men but priests and friars, all Greeks : they did
entertain us lo-vingly, giving us of their fhiits, for the
which we did proffer them money, but they would
not take any : in all our travels, I did not see a more
pleasanter place, for I could have found in my heart
to have lived there always ; it is called by the name
of the island of Priests. From thence we departed
and sailed towards the Isle of Candia, where,
within three days, we were in the harbour, haying
no business there, but only to see the place. We

or THE THREE SHERLEYS. 29
went all ashore, not thinking to stay any longer than
one night ; but our ship had a mischance, for we had
not been out of her two hours, but one of the gallies
of Candia coming from the sea, in a rough wind,
did run herself against the rudder of our ship, arid
took it clean away ; besides that, she was bulged in
two places, whicli caused us to stay there nine days,
before she could be made ready. There we -were
royally used, but especially by one of the governors,
which was a Greek, for there are two governors, the
one a Greek, the other an Italian. The city of Can
dia is a town of garrison, which hath to the number
of one thousand five hundred soldiers continually
there; this governor, being a Greek, caused four
proclamations to be made, which was, that we should
have free liberty, both day and night, to pass quietly
by their court of g-uard and sentinels, vrithout any
let, which was a very great favour : we were kindly
used amongst the citizens, but especially by the gen
tlewomen, who oftentimes did make us banquets in
their gardens, -with music and dancing. They may
well be called menry Greeks, for in the evenings,
commonly after they lea-ve work, they will dance up
and down the streets, both men and women. There
doth stand to this hour, about half a mile from the
city, the chapel which Saint Paul did preach in, and

30 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
it is called to this hour Saint Paul's chapel, being
held in great reverence among the Greeks.
From Candia we sailed to Cyprus, a most ruinated
place, now under the Turk's government; there we
staid not past two hours, in which time the governor
of that place, being a Turk, came aboard our ship,
and brought us wine and other fruits ; he used us vety
kindly, which made us think all Turks were of his con
dition, but we found it to the contrary. From Cyprus
we sailed to Tripoli, where we landed, and left our ship,
for we hired it no further : being in the harbour, we
found the argosy which brought us from Venice to
Zante, who so soon as they did know us, the capt^n
and master went presently to the governor, and told
him that we were banditti or thieves at sea, and did
counsel the governor to hang us all, which he consented
unto. Sir Anthony having some notice of it, by a Greek
which served in the argosy, presently sent Angelo,
his guide, unto the governor, to tell him that we were
Englishmen going to Constantinople, to the Great
Turk's court ; which message would not be heard,
in regard the Venetians did labour so much against
us. The governor kept Angelo -with him, fast bound
in chains, and sent a captain for us, with three sol
diers, which they do call janisaries ; they came in a
boat, called a frigate, and when they were come close

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 31
to die side of our ship, the captain came aboard us,
commanding the janisaries to remain still in the fri
gate : there he was talking with Sir Anthony an hour;
in which time, the Armenian merchants, that were in
the argosy, went to the governor, and' persuaded him
to take a ransom for us, and so let us go, which be
did, to Sir Anthony's great cost, and sent Angelo to
us again : but there we were driven to some extre
mity, in regard we could not get shipping, which
constrained us to embark ourselves in a small fisher
boat fdr Scanderoon, but were forced unto the sea,
where, by reason of a tempest and contraty wind
together, we were tost up and down six days, having
no victuals, but a little fresh water and some tobacco.
In the end, we descried land, and the wind serving
us for that place, we took our adventure thither, and,
when we came within perfect view of that place,
the master of the boat told us we were hard by the
river Orontes, and, if it pleased Sir Anthony, we
might go up that river, and so land ourselves in the
Holy Land, which Sir Anthony was very desirous
of; and so the seventh day we landed, being almost
all of us spent for want of victuals.
Of our usage i-n Turkey, and the dangerous attempts -we
had from the Turks.
After we were landed from the river Orontes, An-

32 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
gelo, our guide, went up into the countty, some two
miles, to provide us with victuals and other provi
sion. At the same town did inhabit a Spahi, which
was one of the Great Turk's soldiers, and had the
command of - that ¦ place under the Turk, for those
which'serve onhoi-seback are coinmonly called Spa-
hiiSj'or chorses.' This Spahi came to us, -with cer
tain Janisaries and others, which, at the first, did use
us kindly, but in the end they altered their kindness;
using reproachful words unto us, then offering to
take froni us some commodities, giving blows to
some of us, which we durst not resist, but to endure
them -with patience ; because they have a law iri Tur
key, that if a Christian do "strike a Turk, he must
either turn Turk, or lose his right arm, which law
did'cause us to endure many stripes vpith patience :
well, these fellows' could not content themselves mth
striking of us, nor in taking away" soine of our com
modities from us; but they would needs have a boy
frbm us, which was Sir Anthony's page ; whereupon
Sir Anthony vowed before he wbuld lose him or any
of his company, in that sort, he would first lose his
own life : but, in the end, because we would be quit
of unci-vil Pagans, they -^vere content to take twelve
pieces of gold, which be called in Venice chiqeens,
and so they let us go. From thence we took our
journey to Antioch, which is two days' journey and

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 33
a half from Orontes, riding and carrying of our lug
gage upon camels and asses, which, by great fortune,
we had hired of the Turks. When we came to An
tioch, we lodged at a house where two Janisaries
did dwell; they were Hungarians born, being both
brothers, and were turned Turks ; they used us riiore
kindly than the rest, and bearing some command of
the place, they gave us free leave to walk up and
down the town, sending one of the men with us, to
keep us from hurt. Antioch is situate on the side
of a hill; it is very much decayed and ruinated,
only the walls stand firm to this hour. There lieth
St. Lavrrence, who was brought from Come to that
place to be buried there. The Christians, which live
and inhabit in the Turk's dominion, do pay a tri
bute yearly to the Turk, to have a lainp burn over
his sepulchre always. From Antioch, after three
days being there, we hired camels and asses in a con
voy, to bring us to Aleppo, because we had notice
that, in the way did lie some two- hundred banditti'
or runagates. It is , six days' journey from Antioch
to Aleppo : after we had passed two days' journey,
the captain of our convoy told Sir Anthony, that we
must hire sixteen men more forth of a viUage where
we passed, because he did fear the next day we
should ineet with those banditti. Sir Anthony de
manded what he must have to give them ; he ' said,
D

34 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
no less than six crowns ; when he had received the
ihoney he went into the town, and returned again
in half an hour, bringing with him only one man.
Sir Anthony asking him where those men were,
'¦- Why," quoth the Turk, " here they be all in this
one ; for this man hath fought with sixteen men, all
at one time, and hath given them the overthrow ;
therefore, ever since he hath had sixteen men's pay
ment." Sir Anthony, being a little moved to see
their base fashions, answered, that he had of his
own company, which would make a boy of a far
better man than he was : yet, arming himself with
patience, was contented to let his man depart from
him in that sort, for fear of worse inconvenience. At
the sixth days' end, we came safe to Aleppo, where
we were kindly received by one Mr. Colthurst, then
being consul for the English merchants, and also of
the merchants themselves, who lodged us in their
houses, and furnished us with such things as we did
want; but the. Turks did use us somewhat ill, for
we could not walk in the streets but, they would
buffet us, and use us very vilely, except we
had a Janisary with us; for it is the fashion
there, that all strangers have commonly a Janisary
in their house with them for their safety. One day it
was my hap to walk alone in die streets, where, to
my hard fortune, I met with a Turk, a gallant man he

or THE THREE SHERLEYS. 35
seemed to be by his habit, and saluting me in this
manner ; — ^took me fast by one of the eai's with his
hand, and so did lead me up and down the streets ;
and if I did chance to look sour upon him, he would
give me such a ring, that I did think verily he would
have pulled off my ear, and this he continued with
me for the space of one hour, with much com
pany following me, some throwing stones at me,
and some spitting on me; so, at the last, he let
me go, and because I would not laugh at my de
parture from him, he gave me such a blow with a
staff, that did strike me to the ground. So, re
turning home to the Consul's house, the Con
sul's Janisary. seeing me all bloody, asked me how I
came hurt ; I told him the manner of it : he presently,
in a rage did take his staff in his hand, and bade me
go -with him, and shew him the Turk that had, used
me so. In a small time we found him sitting with
his father and other gentlemen ; so I did shew the
Janisary which was he; who ran fiercely to him, and
threw him on his back, giving him twenty blows on
his legs and his feet, so that he was not able to go or
stand : he was clothed in a cloth of gold under
coat, and a crimson velvet gown, but his gay clothes
could not save him from the fierceness of the Jani-
sary's fury ; and in this way our men were served
divers times.
I will write something of the fashions of the

36 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Turks, although it be known usually to our mer
chants, yet it is not commonly known to all men :
first, concerning the liberty and freedom the Great
Turk doth give his soldiers, called Janisaries, which
is, — they have free liberty to take victuals for them
selves or their horses, without paying ever a penny
for it, in what town soever they come into, under
the Turkish government ; and if they will not serve
them to their content, they will beat them like dogs;
which, if they chance to resist, then do they forfeit all
their goods to the Great Turk. In my being in
Turkey; I will shew you a pitiful example committed
by the Janisaries, which was thus : — Six of them tra
velling through the country, came to a town, and be
gan to use themselves in a most vile fashion with
the women; the men of the tovm seeing their abuses,
did -withstand them, so that, in the end, one of the Ja
nisaries was slain, the other five left the town pre
sently, and came to Aleppo, being but twenty miles
from the place; and told the Janisaries of the casde
what had happened, there living always in the castle
three hundred. The next day, there went forth of the
castle two hundred of them, to the town where the
Janisaty was slain, and coming thither, they did kiU
man, woman, and child ; pulling down their houses,
and carrying away the spoil of all their goods.
The town I saw myself witliin eight days after this
happened ; where I did behold a pitiftd sight.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 37
There doth inhabit, amongst the Turks, many
Christians, which the Turks do prey upon,in amost
inhuman manner; for, if a Christian, or a Jew,
walking in the way, chance but to take a stone in his
hand and throw it from him, if there be ever a Turk
in sight, although he be a good distance from him,
he will presently, accuse him, and will swear he did
throw the stone at him ; and so, as they call it in
their country, make avenge upon him; then. must
he either turn Turk or forfeit all his goods ; the one
half to the Great Turk, the other to the accuser. They
vpdl also, in the night time, in their cities, where
many Christians do inhabit, if they think them to be
rich, [do thus] — you shall have two or three Turks
take a Jew and kill him, and leave him lying at the
door of a Christian's house, and there watch until it
be day ; then will they call an officer, and shew him
the spectacle, and swear they saw the Christian kill
him ; so they will make an avenge on him, as they
call it ; then must he either turn Turk or be hanged,
and lose all his goods and money : and such like
tricks do they use to plague the Christians with. As
for their churches, they be very fair, and Jiave high
steeples, but no bells in them ; but four times in the
day they have a man that goeth up into the top of
the steeple, and singeth out vdth a loud voice, that
you may hear him all the town over, and biddeth

38 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
them remember Mahomet's laws, which he left
them. They have in their churchyards, for the most
part, a fountain of water, covered over the head with
a little house, which hath a partition, the one half for
men, the other for the women; where they use, be
fore they go to church to their prayer, both men and
women, to wash the crowns of their heads, and
hands and arms up to their elbows, and their feet
and their privy members. They have Mahomet's
laws writ in great rolls of parchment, which their
priests do carty two or three days in the week
through their streets, and one carrying a bason be
fore fhem, where the people will throw money into
it; which money, as they say, doth repair their
churches, and buy oil for their lamps. Their sab
bath is on Friday, which in times past they had lost,
and finding it out again, do usually, on the Thursday
night, hang lamps round about their steeples, to put
people in remembrance of their sabbath, that diey
might not lose it again. They have a certain kind
of drink which they call coffee, it is made of an
Italian seed; they drink it extreme hot; it is
nothing toiithsome, nor hath any good smell, but it
is vety wholesome. As in England we use to go to
the tavern, to pass away the time in friendly meet-
ting, so they have very fair houses, where this
coffee is sold ; thither gentlemen and gallants resort

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 39
daily, where tlie owners of these houses do keep young
boys : in some houses they have a dozen, some more,
some less, they keep them vety gallant in apparel;
these boys are called Bardashes ; which they do use
in their beastly manner, instead of women, for all
the summer time they keep their women very close
in their houses, and have the use of boys. You shall
also see Christians sold in their markets, both men,
and women, and children, like as they were sheep
or beasts ; which did grieve me vety much. There is
also, to this hour, of the kindred of Mahomet, and
these hold in great reverence among them ; for, one
of their words goes as far as sevep other mens'
words will go; you may easily know them, for they
go always in green turbans.
There was also, in Aleppo, at our being there, a
Turk, a very fat man, and exceeding short, who did
always sit naked in a corner of the street, with a lit
tle iron spit in his hand, which they did hold for a
great prophet; and great resort of people came to him
every day, but especially women ; and they did hold
such an opinion of him, that whosoever he did kill
with that spit, they were sure to be saved ; for in the
short time of our being there, he had killed three of
them. The country of Turkey is nothing populous, ex
cept it be in their great towns; for a man may tra-

40 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
velthree or four days together, and neither see house
nor town : moreover, it is exceeding barren. , We
did admire how the Great Turk could bring so many
soldiers into the field, considering how barely the
country is inhabited : — and so much for our usage,
and the fashion of the Turks.
Of our Journey from Aleppo, through the Arabian
Desert, and so into Persia.
After we had spent our time in Aleppo with the
English . merchants, for the space of five weeks. Sir
Anthony did furnish himseff with some kind of mer
chandize, as pieces of cloth of gold, and twelve cups
of emeralds and jewels of great worth; which cups
and jewels he thought to, have presented to the So
phi of Persia, but that ill fortune did cross him by
fhe way. Well, from Aleppo we hired camels,
asses, mules, and horses, to bring us to a place called
by the Turks, Beere, or otherwise Bersada, accom
panied with a Turk called a Cady, who went of an
embassage from the Great Turk to the Bashaw or
Viceroy of Bagdat, othervrise called Babylon : and
four of the English merchants did go with us from
Aleppo to Beere, which -was four days' journey.
When we came to Beere, there, after five or six days,
with some trouble unto us, we were embarked in a
boat upon the famous river Euphrates, with eleven

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 41
boats more of Turks, who went with merchandizes to
Babylon. After we had gone down the river two
days' sail, we came by a place where there was a great
heap of stones, and that place the Jews, which were
in our company, did tell us was the place where
Abraham did pitch his tents, and there did they do
reverence unto it. We did commonly see, every
morning, great lions come down to the river side to
drink ; and the wild Arabians would follow us most
part of the day, on the top of the hills by the river
side, to the number sometimes of one hundred, and
sometimes two hundred, with slings, slinging stones
at us; but they did small' hurt unto , us, in re
gard of our shot, although it was some trouble to us.
So, passing along the river, we came to a town
called Anna, which was governed by the Turks, but
inhabited by many Arabians ; and about two miles
from the town, by the river side, the King of Arabia
had pitched his tents ; for, as we were told, he had
made a vow never to come into house, till he could
conquer all his country from the Turks. So, com
ing close to the town with our boats, as it was our
order in all our boats, when we came by a place of
note, to give a volley of shot ; and doing the like at
that place, one of the Turks had charged his piece
with a bullet, which bullet did kill one of the King's
guard, being walking along the side of the river,

42 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
accompanied with some fifty more of his fellows ;
who, seeing their fellow slain suddenly, did draw
their swords in a rage, not knowing who to take
revenge upon ; but the Turk that killed him, stand
ing up, cried with a loud voice, saying it was one of
the Christians killed him; whereupon they came
all towards our boat, swearing they would kill us
every man ; but God provided for us, for there was
a Turk of Mahomet's kindred in the boat with him
that killed the -man, who, presently leapt into the
water, saying to the guard, there is the man that
killed your fellow, for I saw him put the bullet into
his piece ; which caused them to make a stand, and
did us no harm : but, on the sudden they all ran
fiercely upon him, and cut him in a hundred pieces,
taking the pieces and throwing them up and down.
This news came presently to the King, who sent a
strait command for all the boats to come down to
the place where his tents were pitched ; which we did
immediately ; and, at our arrival there, the liing sent
a company of his unto us, which did take away the
oars of our boats, commanding the chief of the com
pany to come before him, which they did. Sir An
thony went first, attended with three other gende
men that were with him, and myself This I may
boldly speak Of; at the first entty into his tent, it
was full a quarter of an English mile before we

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 43
came to the King's presence, which was guarded
on either side with shot and pikes. So, when we
came before him, he did stand up, taking Sir
Anthony by the hand ; Sir Anthony offering to kiss
his hand, but he would not suffer him, but we did.
Then he demanded of Sir Anthony what he was ?
he told him the truth of all our voyage, which the
King did greatly commend ; and caused a banquet
to be brought of such fruits as the countty did
afford. There is small store of bread in the country,
but they live commonly on musk melons, radishes,
and rice. Their apparel is very slender; for, they
wear commonly one robe, made Mke a surplice, with
great sleeves ofa kind of blue cloth, made of bum-,
baso ; their sleeves they tie on their back by one
comer of the sleeve, and leave all their arms naked.
About their middle they wear a girdle made of a
horse-hide, some five fingers broad, and a dagger
sticking under their girdles with a wooden haft.
They wear over their heads a cap of felt, made like
unto a morion or head-piece, tied under their chin
with a black kind of stuff like a cipress.
The King himself was in this sort attired, save
only he had a satin coat without sleeves; he was a
man of a goodly personage, exceeding black,
and very grim of visage; his Queen was a blacka
moor; his company that followed him, was to the

44 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
number of twenty thousand men ; he had about ten
thousand camels to attend him. In the summer
time he did abide always by the river Euphrates,
and, in the winter, up in the desert. When Sir An
thony saw the manner of his apparel, he sent for a
piece of cloth of gold which he had in the boat,, and
did present it unto the King, to make himself an
upper coat, which the King esteemed highly of, and
gave him great thanks for it; giving, him a passport,
under his own hand, to pass quietly through his
dominions , vfithout any; fiirther let; which passport
did us great good in our passage ; but the Turkshe
made pay soundly for the death of his servant. Soj
after one day and a night, we departed, and came,
in a few days after to a place worth the noting,
which did burn with brimstone and pitch, making
such a smoke that it did darken the place extremely ;
the pitch rising up in great flakes as big as a house,
making a terrible noise, and that place the Jews did
tell us was Sodom and Gomorra, but called by the
Turks, ' Hell's mouth.' From thence we passed a fair
town, called Racca, a very ancient place, inhabited
by Turks and Arabians. . The river Euphrates doth
run through it. They have neither bridge nor boat to
pass from the one town to the othqr, but the skins of
goats blown like a bladder, and so they cast them
selves upon them, and svrim over. You shall see

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 45
them pass to and fro, as thick as boats upon the
Thames. From thence we passed to Feleugo;
which place is -in the suburbs of old Babylon, and
there we left our boats, and hired camels and asses
to carty us to the city of Babylon that now is, which
was a day and a night's journey from that place ;
but before we came to Babylon, the Cady; that went
of the embassage from the Turk to the Viceroy of
Babylon, told Sir Anthony that his goods would be
searched, and, as he did fear, would be taken from
him ; and did counsel him this, to deliver some of
his goods to him, and he would safely keep them for
him, and deliver them to him at his departure from
Babylon, which he did very honestly perform. Sir
Anthony did according to his advice, giving him
some of his jewels and other commodities ; but his
cups of emeralds he reserved for the Viceroy of Ba
bylon ; but before we came into the city we were
searched, and all our goods taken from us, to the
worth of six thousand crowns, and we never saw them
again. Had not we delivered that commodity to
the Embassador, we had been left naked to the
world. I will speak somewhat of Babylon, because it is
not commonly known to the Englishmen. The
tower that Nimrod builded, standeth some part of it
still ; it is of a great height ; a days' journey or more
I

46 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
from the city of Babylon that now is : it standeth in
a wilderness, and so many wild beasts be about it,
that a man cannot come near by two miles or more;
but it may be seen plainly. There is another tower
which standeth within less than a quarter of a mile
of the city, and that they call Nebuchadnezzar's
tower, or the false tower. The river Tigris runneth
through the city, which is the swiftest river in the
world; and they have abridge made over it with
great boats, and planks of wood laid overthwart the
boats. It is a place of great traffick -with merchants
forth of the East Indies, Armenians, Persians,
Turks, and Venetians, and many Jews. There is
also the saying of the Psalm performed ; that " Ba
bylon should to the dust be brought," for the city
that now is, and also the old, is so endued with store
of sand, that a man can hardly travel ; for in some
places it is so deep as the middle of a man's leg. It
is very well furnished with victuals, and very cheap ;
which did make us wonder to see it, in regard the
country is so barren. They have little store of rain,
but this device they have to water their fields of
corn, as I myself did see it, both in the river Eu
phrates, also upon the river Tigris : they have four
bulls yoked together, and a device with a wheel set
hard to the river side, with two great ropes ; and, at
the end of either rope, two long buckets made of the

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 47
hide of a buffalo, and as the one cometh up the other
goeth down, which bringeth up the water, that
runneth in little trenches, and watereth the ground,
in some places ten miles, some more, some less : it
is a very rare device to them that see it.
The ruins of Babylon are to be seen to this hour ;
for I myself did tell nine gates, as I did tra
vel through it, with many vaults in the ground,
and the foundations of houses. The inhabitants
of Babylon are Turks, Arabians, Armenians, and
Jews. But now I -will come again to the goods which
were taken away from Sir Anthony. As soon as
they were seized upon, they were brought to the
Bashaw, who liked so well of the emerald cups, that
he kept them for his own use, not giving Sir Anthony
one penny for them, but sent for him ; and when
Sir Anthony came before him, the Bashaw did look
for great reverence to be done him ; but Sir An
thony carrying a gallant mind, as he ever did, would
not do any obedience unto him ; for, at the entrance
into his presence, being bravely attended upon
with noblemen, Sir Anthony came boldly in, and
did not so much as once bow himself; but did sit
down by him -without any entreating. Whereupon
the Viceroy, looking vety grim upon him, told hira
he should be sent in chains to Constantinople to the

48 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Great Turk; and all his company should have their
heads cut off, and set upon the gates of Babylon.
"Then," replied Sir Anthony, " that as for his own
life he did not respect it, but for his followers ;'' and
he desired to endure any torments himself, so that
his company might pass quietly without hurt ; so
that, for that time, he let him depart for his lodging.
There was an Armenian, a Christian born, who
did attend on the Bashaw, whom he loved dearly ;
his name was Margevelo : this Christian did labour
vety much in Sir Anthony's behalf; which, in the
end, he obtained, and got him his hberty to depart
quietly, but. could not get him his goods again, but
made means to help Sir Anthony to eight bundled
crowns, of some Venetian merchants,* which were

* Sherley's own account of this occurrence, which is invested
with the same strange and romantic interest as the rest of his ad
ventures, is very different from that of Manwaring ; who. it ap
pears, was ignorant of the real circumstances attending it Sher
ley. in order to avoid suspicion, had represented himself to be a
merchant, who expected goods by the next caravan ; but the
number of his followers made a contrary impression, and he
was closely watched. A Florentine merchant, of the name of
Victorio Spiciera, who had travelled with Sherley from Aleppo,
struck with his demeanor, took several opportunities to represent
his danger to him ; Sherley conceiving him to be a spy, who
wished to penetrate into the motive and objects of his journey, for
some time disregarded his suggestions ; but was at length con
vinced of his kind intention. Spiciera appointed a meeting with

OF THE THREE SIIERLEVS. 49
there. So, after we had staid there a month, there
was a caravan of Persian merchants takino; their

him about the time a caravan was to depart from Persia, and,
proceeds Sir Anthony, " When I came there, he brought me to
a Vittorin, of whom he had already hired horses, camels, and
mules forme; and I found a tent pitched by his servants: and
then opening his gown, he delivered me a bag of chickeens, with
these very words : — ' The God of Heaven bless you, and your
whole company, and your enterprize, whieh I will no farther
desire to know, than in my hope, which persuadeth me, that It
is good; myself am going to China, whence, if I return, I shall
little need the repayment of this courtesy, which I have done you
with a most free heart ; if I die by the way, I shall less need it :
but if it please God so to direct both our safeties with good provi
dence, that we may meet again, I assure myself, that you will
remember me to be your friend ; which is enough, for all that I
can say to a man of your sort.' And almost, without giving me
leisure to yield him condign thanks (if any thanks could be con
dign,) for so great and so noble a benefit, he departed from me :
and as I heard afterwards from him by letters from Ormus, he
received much trouble after my departure, through his honorable
desire to perfect the kindness which he had begun. For imagin
ing, that by the continual spies which clave to my house, that my
flight could not be secret, he had no sooner left me in the caravan,
but that he changed his lodging to mine, saying, that I had
done the like to his ; and went to the Cady, telling him, that I
was sick ; desiring his physician to visit me, knowing well enough
that the Cady had none, but only to give colour to my not ap
pearing in the town : the Cady answered, he was sorry for my
sickness, and would send to the Bassa for his physician, which
Signior Victorio Spiciera (for so this honorable Florentine was
called) would by no means ; hoping, as he said, that my sickness
would not be so great as would require the trouble of his high-

50 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
journey towards Persia, who were very glad of our
company. For you must understand that the mer
chants do travel in those parts exceeding strong, to
the number of two thousand, sometimes more ; be?
cause there axe many thieves who lie in the way
very strong; and the company of merchants is
called by the name of a caravan.
But, concerning our usa^e in Babylon, among
the citizens, it was far better than in other places ;
for there we did pass very quietly up and down,
without any disturbance; but were very kindly
used of all men, the viceroy excepted : so in the
end we did take our leave of Babylon, and being de
parted not above five or six miles, this Armenian,

ness." By this means, five days passed before Sir Anthony
was missed; the Janisaries, who were out after him, thinking
that the caravan had passed, returned; and the noble minded
Florentine was forced to pay five himdred crowns, to make his
peace with the Bassa.
" The precise sum," says Sherley, " which I received of the
Florentine, I set not down, to prevent the scandalsof divers, who,
measuring every man's mind by the straightness of theirs, will
believe no act which doth not symbolize mth themselves; but so
much it was, that being thirty days upon the way to the confines,
then fifteen from the confines tp Casbin, where we attended one
month the king's arrival, it was not only sufficient to give us
abundant means for that time, but to clothe us all in rich appa
rel, fit to present ourselves before the presence of an}' prince,
and to spend extraordinarily in gifts."

OF THE THREE SHEfLEYS. 51
that shewed Sir Anthony such kindness, sent him a
very gallant Arabian horse, with a velvet saddle. I
cannot express that great love which he shewed unto
us ; but mark the event ; for when we had travelled
some days' journey or more from Babylon, ^ere
came a post from the Great Turk to the Bashaw,
which was that he should send us with all speed to
Constantinople. When he had this intelligence, he
commanded presently two hundred horse to be sent
after us : this Armenian hearing of it, came to the
captain that had the commanding of these horse, and
gave him a hundred ducats to lead his troop of horse
another way, and see to miss us, which he did — yet
one night, as we had intelligence, he quartered within
less than three miles of us ; but the next morning he
returned, and for his welcome to Babylon, lost hi?
head ; but the Armenian did escape that danger, and
lives still in the Bashaw's favour, and was highly
commended of him, that he did stand so firmly to
them of his own faith. So we held on our journey,
and came in a few days to a place called by the
Turks Samara; but as we were told by the Jews,
that still accompanied us, it was Samaria : it is an
ancient place, but much ruinated, the walls stand
firm to this hour, and in the middle of the old city,
the Turks and Arabians have built a little town, wal
led about with a mud wall, of an infinite height, that

o2 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
a 'man cannot see so much as a steeple in the town.
There standeth also, by the old city, a tower about
the height of Paul's steeple, made in the form of the
tower of Babylon ; the going up is so broad, as three
carts may easily go, one by another. Mr. Robert
Sherley and myself did go to the top of it; but before
we could get thither, with the extreme heat of the
sun, we were almost spent ; but when we were at the
top, it was far colder than it was below ; there are
also, about fhe city-gates, stags as big as oxen. There
lieth buried one of their saints, to which they go on
pilgrimage every year, both Persians and Turks.
From thence we passed along the desert, some five
or six days, until we came to a wilderness, so called^
which was very thick of wood : it had a small river
running through it : — there we pitched our tents, io
regard of the water, for we had not any water to
drink two days before : and about two miles fi-om us
vrere quartered some ten thousand Turks, which were
marching the country, ft-om those quarters to Hun-
gaty, as we were told. Their general, hearing of our
being there, came to us ; then were we greatly in
doubt of our lives ; but he, bearing the mind of a sol
dier, let us pass quietly, without any hurt. From
thence, after we had rested ourselves one day and a
night, we held on our journey, and came by a castle
of the Turks, called Tartange. There being always in

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 53
that castle two hundred soldiers, very well fortified
with ordnance, we had no determination to stay
there ; but when they saw us pass by, they command
ed us with two pieces of ordnance; so to avoid
other danger, we stayed, and pitched our tents under
the castle. The governor was very, inquisitive what
we were ; commanding us to deliver unto him our
pieces, with our shot and powder ; but we told him
we were merchants, travelling to Ormus; but he
would hardly believe us, but commanded his soldiers
to seize upon us;. but they were not vety forward,
seeing us to stand upon our guard ^vith our pieces
cheUged, more vrilling to die, than to yield ourselves
subject to such uncivil pagans ; so after some words'
parley, they were contented to take a small bribe of us,
-giving us leave to stay there all night, letting us have
such commodities as they had for our money ; the next
morning, very early, we departed; and, in a few days
after, we came to Curdia, a very thievish and brutish
-country. They have no houses, but live in tents and
caves : they till their corn twice a year, and remove
from place to place with their tents ; they ride com
monly upon cows and bulls, and keep their abiding,
for the niost part, by a little river called Hadno ; their
apparel is vety coarse, for they wear only a shirt,
and over that a rough felt coat, and on their heads a
clout tied : they would come into our company some-

54 IIIL TRAVELS AMB ADVENTURES
times forty, sometimes more or less ; and, unless we
did look well unto them, they would filch and steal
any thing they could lay their hands upon.
In the night-time we were compelled to keep good
watch, for the evenings being somewhat dark, these
people would come creeping on their bellies amongst
the Persians that were in our companies, and steal
their turbans from off their heads ; and sometimes
they would make such an alarum, as if twenty armies
of men had been together. But one night among the
rest, we travelling somewhat late, they fetched off
three of the chiefest merchants, being straggling be
hind the compaliy, but they made such a Cty, that
Sir Anthony caused us to make a retreat suddenly,
and so we did rescue them, to the loss of most of
their lives which did seize upon them, though they
were very well horsed ; those were the first horsemen
we saw in the countty. That night we quartered not
far from a tovni, but did not know so much until the
next morning, as they came down to us in multi
tudes, which made us betake ourselves to our arms ;
but, in the end, we did perceive they came without
weapons, bringing bread, rice, goats, cheese, and
bther commodities, for which we offered them both
silver and gold, but they refiised -it, for they had not
the use of either of them, neither did they know it,
but they would take old shoes, copper rings, and lit-

or THE THREE SHERLEYS. 55
tie looking glasses, which we bought for the purpose,
being so advised by Angelo, our guide. There we
did lie two days to rest ourselves, in regard the place
was so pleasant, and the people shewing themselves
so kind unto us, but the name of the place I have
forgotten, because it was a place of no antiquity.
From thence we passed along through the coun
try, finding it more easy and pleasant for our travel,
than we did before, and the people more discreet and
kind, which did somewhat rejoice us to see such an
alteration after so great dangers we had passed be
fore. As we passed through this country, we saw
many ruinated places, which Tamberlane had con
quered, as we were told, both by the Jews and the
Turks, for his name is had in memoty of them to this
day ; so we passed along some four Or five days,
until we came to a place worth the noting, called
Hitherbagg, where there did inhabit a king, called
by the name of the King of Hitherbagg. There is
but one town, and it is walled round very stron^y
with a rock of stone, so that it is invincible : th^re this
king doth live vety gallantly, being a man of So
goodly personage as we saw in all our travels : he
holdeth always a league with the King of Persia, and
setteth the Great Turk at defiance, for the Turks
would fain conquer that place, but cannot. There
we pitched our tents two days, in a pleasant valley

56 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTCUES
under the town, accompanied with the king and
his followers, who did sport with us, and did use us
very kindly, suffering us to go into his town by two
at a time, which was a very great favour, for he
doth not use to allow any stranger to go into it. There
is but only one gate to go into the town, which is
no wider than one horse may pass through alone,
there is also in the middle of the town a very strong
castle, planted with ordnance, where the king him
self doth lie. This castle doth command all round
about it, that they cannot come to plant any ord
nance to give battety without the loss of many thou
sands; for the Turk did send a great army gainst
it; but on one day and a night service they were fein
to fly away, vnth the loss of the better half ofhis
men. This king did give us great encouragement,
assuring us we should find the Sophi of Persia the
most famous prince in the world, both for his bounty
and valour, and to be a great friend to Christians;
so we took our leave of him, holding on our journey,
and, in a few days after, we were safely arrived in
the kingdom of Persia, without the loss of one man
in our company ; where, upon the sudden, we found
such an alteration of the country and people, that
we were overcome with joy.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 57
Ofmir usage in Petsia and the entertainment we had
tliere.
After we had entered the countty some two or
three miles. Sir Anthony called us all together, and
falling upon our knees, we gave thanks to God that
we were come safely to our intended purpose, al
though we were sometime before past hope of our
lives, but that we had so worthy a leader, which, in
the greatest of our extremities, never made any show
of despair, but with a gallant spirit did encourage
us not to take any feai', for he would engage his life
for us. The first town we came to was very strongly
situated, for we could not see any house at all, but
a place like unto a great mountain, whence did issue
out smoke in many places, which were their houses
digged underneath the mountain very strangely, to
the number of some three hundred dwelling houses.
The streets very fair, and as even as a table, and on
the top of the mountain great holes were cut, to give
light to these streets and houses ; there we found
great store of victuals of all sorts, and the people
vety courteous, and willing to do us any service.
There was also a hundred soldiers lying there, for
the king hath a guard round about his country, at
every entrance ; they be all horsemen, and go all in
red, with red turbans on their heads, and red fea-

58 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
thers, with their bows and arrows, sword and target,
and their short pieces. These soldiers did use us very
respectfully, and told us their king would be over
come with joy when he did hear of our coming ; so,
after we had rested there one day and a night, we
did hold on our journey towards Casbin, a fa
mous city, and of great antiquity. We passed by
many towns, but none of any account, and the fiir
ther we went, the more kinder the people were. In
evety village where we did lodge, the chief men
would come, and present us with one commodity or
tither evety night, and happy was he that could
have the best house to lodge us : likewise, their
women would come and welcome us, which we
thought a great wonder, in regard we had not the
speech of any woman, for a long time before.
In our way to Casbin, we did see a most mira
culous piece of work, wrought by this king that now
is ; for in some parts of the kingdom water is very
scarce, and this king with the multitude of men hath
Wrought a vale twenty days' journey from a river,
and so hath brought water enough into the countty ;
it was wrought so that within evety three score yards
it is open to tlie air. So, passing along the countty,
and being in safety. Sir Anthony sent Angeloj our
guide, accompanied willi an English gentleman,
whose name Vvas John Ward, some four days' jouv-

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 59
ney before us, to Casbin, in secret, to provide us
of a lodging, and to attend our coming two or three
miles fi-om the city, somewhat late in the evening,
and so to convey us to our lodgings, without the
knowledge of the citizens, in regard we were unpro
vided with apparel, and other necessaries, by rea
son of our long travels; yet, they could not so secretly
work their intended purposes, but it was made
known, both to the Lord Steward of the king's
house, and also to the Governor of the city, who
sent for them both, to know what he was that was
coming to see their king. They told them the truth, but
did not acquaint them the certain ddy of our coming,
which made both them and the citizens greatly dis
contented, in regard they made great preparation to
receive us with great triumphs; but, according to
our intention, we came in by night, and so did dis
appoint them. The next day the Lord Steward came
to our house, with a great train following him of
gallant gentlemen, and did salute Sir Anthony in
this sort : — In my King's behalf, who now is in the
Tartarian wars, this small kindness I would intreat
you accept, in regard to your long and weary travels ;
and that you being strangers here in our country, it
may be yotir supplies cannot be so s-uddenly accomplish
ed, therefore I lOould request you to pardon me, if Ida
amiss in my offer ; and, laying twenty pounds in gold

60 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
at Sir Anthony's feet, told him, this much you shall re
ceive every day for your provision besides other com
modities ; th'ts do I (f myself, until we hear from-fmr
King; who, I am sure, will treble it at his return.
.Sir Anthony, according to his princely mind, turn
ing the money over with his foot, returned this an
swer : Know this, brave Persian, I come not a begging
to the King, but hearing of his great fume and wor
thiness, thought I could not spend my time better than
come to see him, and kiss his hand, with the adventure
of my body to second him in his princely wars. Ihe
Persian, hearing this answer, stept back vety sud
denly, and, making a low congfe, replied thus, —
Pardon me, brave stranger, for now I see thou art a
Prince thyself, for so it seemeth by thy princely answer.
Sir Anthony, replying, said. No, I am the second
son to an English knight, but I have been trained up
in martial affairs, and well esteemed of in my prince's
court, and for this cause do I come to do thy King the
best office I can, if it please his Highiess to accept of
'me. J know my King, said the Persian, will highly
esle'erh of thy coming, and think himself a happy man
to receive so worthy a person into his court ; and so
saluting all one afl;er another, did take his leave.
So soon as he was gone, the governor of the city came
with a gallant train of gentlemen very well horsed
to attend him, being a man of a gallant personage,

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 01
well spoken, and of good carriage ; and gave Sir
Anthony and all of us a very kind welcome, offer
ing Sir Anthony all that he was worth to be at his
service. He thanked him very kindly, but told him he
did hope to have no such occasion to use his offer ; so
for that time he took his leave of us ; and that night
the Lord Steward and Governor did send such a
variety of presents to Sir Anthony, that it did make
us wonder at it, and so they did every day, for they
two did strive who should use us best. So afl;er some
five or six days' rest we were furnished with apparel
and horses ; and then the Lord Steward did invite
Sir Anthony and all we of his company to a great
banquet at the King's palace, which Sir Anthony did
not refiise ; when the Lord Steward did royally i-e-
ceive us, meeting us half the way, attended with
forty gentlemen very well horsed ; so coming to the
palace we did behold there a sumptuous spectacle,
which was the palace gate being curiously set, wrought
and garnished with rich stones very bright, the like
I think the world cannot afford. The going up unto
the gate was seven steps, about some half dozen
yards broad, ofa very strong kind of stone ; so when
we were alighted from our horses, and coine near
unto the gate, the Lord Steward told Sir Anthony
that it was the fashion that those that did enter into
the gate, must kiss the first step, and especially

62 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
strangers, but you shall be privileged to do as it shall
please you. Sir Anthony replied, in honour of the
Sophi thy king, I will do this ; and so he made a
low obeisance, and in the like sort did Mr. Robert
Sherley his brother, but all we did kiss the step,
which did greatly rejoice the Lord Steward and his
company. So into the house we came, which was
richly hanged in every room with gold carpets, and
under foot with rich arras ; but to tell the several
sorts of dishes we had there I cannot express, and
every dish trimmed with rice, coloured of all kind of
colours. We had also the king's music to attend us,
both there and home or where we would command
them. There was also at that feast ten women very
gallantly apparelled, and vety beautiful, who did
dance according to their countty manner, and sing
all the time we were feasting. There we spent that
day, and at our return to our house we were guarded
vety royally with all the citizens of worth, with the
sound both of drum and trumpet. And in the like
sort did the Governor feast us, and all men were
vdlling to show us any pleasure we would. In tlie
end there came a post from the King, forth of Tar-
taria, vidth a proclamation written widi the King's
own hand, which proclamation was proclaimed by a
nobleman in Casbin, and we were all sent for to
hear it ; this was the effect of it, that we should com-

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 63
mand horse and man to be at our service, upon pain
of death to those that should not obey; moreover, if
any man did hold up his hand to offer the worst in
our company wrong, he should lose his head ; which
proclamation the citizens did all embrace vety willing
ly, and thus I leave awhile to treat of our entertain
ment. Now -will I speak of by what means this King
came to his crown ; and then will I shew you the
manner of his coming from the wars, and the enter
tainment he gave us.
You shall understand that they have a law or
custom in Persia, when the King doth die, the eldest
son that is to succeed his father doth put out the eyes
of his brethren, be they never so many of them, for
fear they should win any favour in the country and
so commit rebellion. This king that now doth reign
in Persia, whose name is Shah Abbas, that is King
Abbas, for this word Shah is the Persian word for a
king, he was the second, who, when he heard his
father was dead, presently fled from the countty into
Curdia, and sometimes he lived on the frontiers or
borders of Persia, having to the number of one thou
sand men with him. His eldest brother being
crowned king, sent many flattering letters unto him,
that if he would come and submit himself unto him
he should live and enjoy his eyesight, and that he
should have great command in the country; but

64 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
he would not trust the King, but did continue his
course as he did before, and his compainy incteSsed.
daily. There was also a nobleman which was very
near unto the King, who sent a letter privately unto
this King Abbas, that if he would give him such a
dukedom, which was the greatest command in all
the kingdom of Persia, that then he would cause the
King his brother to be put to death, and that he
should be made King; whereupon he returned this
answer, which was, that if he would be the death of
so loving a master as the King his brother was to
him, he could be well contented to lose his brother
to succeed him in the kingdom, and that he should
be made for his labour the greatest duke in Persia ;
and so he did sign his letter -witli his blood, for that
is the fashion when they do engage themselves one
to the other. This noblemaii received this letter with
great joy, and did piit in practice how to end the
days of his dear lord and master, who loved hini
beyond all measure, as myself have heard many
Persians report ; yet was not that King beloved of his
subjects. Well, this was his plot; he did give the
King's barber a great reward to cut his throat whert
he did shave him, which thing when it was performed
this nobleman fled immediately to his new master,
who embraced him friendly. The country straight were
up in arms, and half a dozen kings were proclaimed;

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. T)*-.
some brothers that were blind and some uncles that
were blind also, for the people did according as their
affections were ; but this King Abbas came with his
power that he had and laid siege to Casbin, for
because the citizens would not receive him, but in
few days he gat it, and put most of them to the
sword because they did vrithstand him. So his forces
increased evety day and he marched towards Is
pahan, which is the chiefest city in the kingdom,
some ten days' journey from Casbin, conquering
the country, but they came to him in multitudes to
increase his power . The lords of the council gather
ed a great army together, thinking to encounter him,
but when they understood what power he was of,
they altered their minds and met him on their knees,
receiving him with great triumphs, and the next day
he was proclaimed King in Ispahan and crowned
some two days after with great joy. After he was
crowned, this nobleman, which was the death ofhis
brother, came to the King and demanded his Duke
dom, which the King promised him ; the. King an
swered him, " Thou art worthy of it ;'' so bidding
him kneel did create him Duke, and placed him next
unto himself, and then was he the greatest man in
Persia next unto the King. The next day after, the
King and lords sitting in council, the King demand
ed this question, " What was he worthy to receive,
F

66 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
that having a loving master, yea one that loved him
better than himself, and yet was the cause of his
death?" It is the fashion of the countty, that when
the King doth ask a question, the best man in the
place next to the King must give the answer ; so this
new made duke, being then in presence, after long
pause, very unwilling gave answer, " that such a
servant was worthy of great punishment." Then the
King, standing up, suddenly drew his sword, and
said, " Villain that thou art, thou shalt have thy de
sert;'' and so cut off his head vsith his own hands,
and said, " thou that didst betray so loving a master,
thou wouldst do the like to me, therefore take thy
desert :" and so caused his carcase to be thrown into
the fields for the crows to feed on ; and thus much
in brief concerning the manner of his coming to the
crown. Now will I sliew you in what fashion he came from the
wars, and the -welcome he gave us.
The King, some two days before he entered into
Casbin, sent a courier or post before him to his
Lord Steward, to fiimish us with the best horses he
could get, and Aat we should meet him four miles
forth of Casbin, accompanied with the Governor
and himself, which was very gallantly performed by
them both. In this sort was Sir .\ntliony and we of

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 67
his company appointed ; first. Sir Anthony himself
in rich cloth of gold, his gown and his imder coat ;
his sword hanging in a rich scarf to the worth of a
thousand pounds, being set with pearl and diamonds ;
and on his head a turban according, to the worth of
two hundred dollars, his boots embroidered with
pearl and rubies ; his brother, Mr. Robert Sherley,
likewise in cloth of gold, his gown and under coat,
vpith a rich turban on his head ; his interpreter, An
gelo, in cloth of silver, gown and under coat; four
in cloth of silver gowns, with under coats of silk
damask ; four in crimson velvet gowns, with da
mask under coats ; four in blue damask gowns, with
taffety under coats ; four in yellow damask, with their
under coats of a Persian stuff; his page in cloth of
gold ; his four footmen in carnation taffety. And thus
we set forward ; Sir Anthony and his brother riding
together ; the Lord Steward on the right hand and
the Governor on the left, the rest came after by two
and two, myself directly before Sir Anthony, with a
white staff in my hand, for it pleased him to make
me his marshal, for in that country evety great man
hath his marshal to ride before him. So after we were
half a mile forth of the city we saw such a prospect
as is not usually seen ; which was, twelve hundred
soldiers, horsemen, carrying twelve hundred heads of
men on their lances, and some having the ears of men

68 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
put on strings and hanged about their necks ; next
after these came the trumpeters, making a wonder
ful noise ; because they are contrary to our English
trumpets, these trumpets being two yards and a half
in length, with the great end big, and so much compass
as a hat. Next after them came the drummers, their
drums being made of brass, and carried upon ca
mels ; then after them came his six standard bearers ;
then after came his twelve pages, bearing evety one a
lance in his hand ; then a good distance after them
came the King, riding alone with a lance in his hand,
his bow and arrows, sword and target, hanging by
his side, being a man of low stature, but vety strong
ly made, and swarthy of complexion. Next after the
King came his lieutenant-general of the field, and all
his bows in rank like a half moon ; and after them
came his officers in the wars, to the number of
twenty thousand soldiers, all horsemen. So at our
first encounter of the King, Sir Anthony and his
brother did alight off their horses, and came to kiss
the King's foot ; for it is the fashion of the country,
be he never so good a man he must kiss the King's
foot at the first meeting ; after that was performed,
the King did look upon them both vety stately, and
afterwards did look upon us all, giving never a word
to Sir Anthony, but bid the lieutenant-general place
him according as he had given direction, and so the

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 69
King set spurs to his horse, and did ride away for
the space of an hour ; Sir Anthony being placed in
the King's place, with his brother Mr. Robert Sher
ley, the lieutenant general on the right hand, and
the lord steward on the left. After the King was de
parted, the lord steward told Sir Anthony that it
was the custom to entertain strangers in that fashion,
but willed him to have patience awhile, and he
should see the event ; so within an hour the King
returned back again as fast as his horse would go,
and having following him sixteen women on horse
back richly attired, and when he came close to Sir
Anthony the women did holloa, and gave such a cry,
much like the wild Irish, which did make us won
der at it ; then after they had made an end, the
King came and embraced Sir Anthony and his bro
ther, kissing them both three or four times over,, and
taking Sir Anthony by the hand, swearing a great
oath that he should be his sworn brother; and so he
did call him always, and so the King marched along,
putting Sir Anthony on his right hand. It was a won
derful sight to see the multitude of people that were
there that day; and still as the King did pass along
the people would kneel down . and kiss the earth ;
but before we came into the city^ there was procla
mation made that, upon pain of death, no soldier
should enter into the city, but such as were born

70 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
there, for fear of making any uproar ; and so they
were all discharged and departed evety one to his
own country for that time. So after we had entered
the city, we marched through every street, and in the
end came to a banqueting house of the King's;
when the king brought Sir Anthony up into a vety
fair chamber richly trimmed ; in which chamber Sir
Anthony delivered a speech to the King, what was
the occasion of his coining, with a discourse of our
wearisome journey, and of our usage in Turkey,
and other accidents which did happen unto us by
the way, which the King did hearken very atten
tively unto, and when Sir Anthony had ended his
speech, the King stood up and replied; "Brother, I
do grieve to hear of thy sore adventures and troubles
by the way, but I do much rejoice to see thee here
in safety at our court; for be well assured I will
place thee on my head." This was his meaning, that
he would advance him to great honour ; then was
there a great banquet brought in, with music before
it, where they past away their time for the space of
two hours, with great joy ; after the banquet was
ended, the King requested Sir Anthony to look
through the window to behold their sports on horse
back. Before the house there was a very fair place
to the quantity of some ten acres of ground, made
very plain ; so the King went down, and when he had

or THE THREE SHERLEYS. 71
taken his horse, the drums and trumpets sounded ;
tliere was twelve horsemen in all with the King ; so
they divided themselves six on the one side, and six
on the other ; having in their hands long rods of
wood, about the bigness of a man's finger, and at
one end of the rods a piece of wood nailed on like
unto a hammer. After they were divided and turned
face to face, there came one into the middle, and
threw a wooden ball between both the companies,
and having goals made at either end of the plain,
they began their sport, striking the hall with their
rods firom one to the other, in the fashion of our
football play here in England ; and ever when the
King had gotten the ball before, him, the drums and
trumpets would play one alarum, and many times
the King would come to Sir Anthony to the window ,
and ask him how he did like the sport. So when the
sport was ended. Sir Anthony sent me down of
some business, and as I went down the stairs it was
my chance to meet with the King, who when he
saw me, took me by the arm, and caused me to re
turn back again with him, and brought me to tlie
chamber where the Turk's Ambassador was, and
did lead me along to the upper end of the chamber,
and put me above the Turk's Ambassador, bidding
me sit down there, by reason they have no stools,
but sit on carpets. I could, ill sit cross-legged after

72 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
their manner, but kneeled on my knees ; then the
Ambassador told the King it was the fashion of
England, to sit on stools, for he had been oft-times in
the English merchants' houses in Constantinople.
When the King had heard these words, he presenUy
went into the next room, and caused one of his
pages to bring forth a little form, which they did use
to set bottles of wine upon, and throwing a carpet of
gold upon it, caused me to sit down; then he called
for some wine, and did drink a health unto me, and
used these words. "I do esteem more of the sole
of a Christian's shoe, than I do of the best Turk in
Turkey ;" and then he asked me if I would serve
liim ? I answered him, in regard I was a subject in
his country I must be at his command, yet I was loth
to leave my old master, in regard he loved me well;
at which words the King did take me about the neck
and kissed me three or four times, and said, " I do
highly commend thy constancy ; nevertheless I vrill
entreat my brother, thy lord, for thee, that thoushalt be
my servant so long as you stay in my countty." Then
after some few words more, he went forth of the room
to Sir Anthony and told him he must needs have
one of his servants from him ; he answered, that it
did not lie in his power to give any of them, but if
it pleased him, he might command any of them to
do him what service diey were able; the King

OP THE THREE SHERLEYS. 73
thanked him vety heartily, and told him that he
should command all his servants to do the like ; then
after some few words' parley the King brought Sir
Anthony to his house, and told him he would take
no leave of him, for he purposed to see him before he
did sleep. So after we had supped at our own house,
Sir Anthony, not thinking the King would have seen
him any more that night, because it waxed late, he
determined to have gone to his rest, but he was dis
appointed, for the Lord Steward came for hira, with
sixteen torches and some twenty gentlemen to attend
him, to bring Sir Anthony and all his company to
the King, to spend that night with him, but when we
came where the King was, such a spectacle we did
behold which did almost ravish us with joy to see it;
you shall understand that in the middle of the city
of Casbin there is a place which they call the Ba
zar, made in fashion like the Exchange in London,
though not so beautiful, yet three times as big,
where they keep shops of all manner of trades ; for
that time the shopkeepers had set forth their commo
dities in the best manner, and themselves appareled
very gallantly. In the middle of that place standeth
, a round thing made with a seat, set up with six. pil
lars, about some [ ' J over, on which place
they use to sell apparel and other commodities ;. that
being bravely trimmed with rich carpets, both of

74 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
gold and silver and silk, and the King's chair
of estate placed in the middle, the, chair being of
silver plate set with turkoises and rubies vety thick,
and six great diamonds, which did shew like stars,
the seat being of rich scarlet embroidered vrith
pearl, and the multitude of lamps hanging about it
were innumerable; the King, when he came unto
it, did cause Sir Anthony to ascend up into that
princely throne, and standing by the chair with his
viceroy, and other of his nobdity, did take Sir An
thony by the hand, and willed him to sit down in his
chair of estate ; but Sir Anthony, falling on his knee,
desired the King to pardon him, for so princely a
place did not becrane him, in regard he was but
a subject himself The King swearing a great oath,
which was by the soul of Mortus Ali, that he
should sit in the chair, and if the best Persian of
them all did grieve at it, he would presendy cut
off his head ; and taking Sir Anthony by the hand,
bid him sit dovm, without fear, which Sir Anthony
did, and when he was set, the King kissed him, and
said, " Brother, thou dost well become this place;"
then he called for a stool for Mr. Robert Sher
ley, which was presently brought, and he sat him
close by his brother Sir Anthony, and placing all
of us of Sir Anthony's company round about the
throne, sitting on carpets cross-legged, according

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 75
to the country fashion ; then came there in a royal
banquet with drums and trumpets sounding before
it, which was brought in by twenty-four noblemen,
and when the drums and trumpets departed^ the
music came in playing, with twenty women very
richly apparelled, singing and dancing before the
music. So when the banquet was ended, the King
arose, taking Sir Anthony by the arm, and so they
walked, arm in arm, in every street in the city,
the twenty women going before, singing and danc
ing, and his noblemen coming after, -with each of
them one of our company by the hand, and at
evety turning there was variety of music, and lamps
hanging on either side their streets of seven heights
one above another, which made a glorious shew;
and thus for the space of eight days and nights
did we spend the time in sporting and banquet
ing with all the pomps they could devise. So
after the tenth day was expired, the King sent Sir
Anthony twelve camels, three tents very large, with
all kinds of official houses belonging to them, and
household stuff; sixteen mules, every mule carry
ing four carpets, four of silk and gold, six of
clean silk, the rest vety fair crewel carpets; also
he sent him fourteen horses,* whereof two of them
were for his own saddle, two for his brother, and

Sir A. Sherley says, forty.

76 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
the ten for ten of us ; he sent fourteen saddles,
whereof two of them were of gold plate, set
very thick with turkoises and rubies, two of gqld
plate, plain ; the other ten of velvet embroidered
with silver vety richly; and so much silver* as six
men could carry, entreating Sir Anthony to accept
of that small trifle for a month's expenses : desiring
Sir Anthony that he would meet him some four days'
journey with ten of his best men to attend him and
his brother. Sir Anthony thinking the King did it
to make trial of our valour, called ten of us unto
him, which were these; myself, John Norris,
Thomas Davis, WiUiam Party, Thomas Powell,
John Ward, John Parrott, Gabriel Brookes, Ar
nold Roldcraft, Edward Vantheivier, a Dutchman ;
and he told us what he thought the King's intent
was : and willing us to shew ourselves like true
Englishmen, if any such occasion should happen ;
so the next morning we set forward, accompanied
by one of the King's gentlemen of his hoi-se to attend
us, and be our guide, who did provide us victuals,
in every town or place we passed through, paying
. never a penny : so at the four days' end, somewhat
in the evening, we met in a cross way with the
King's mules, which carried his provisions. One of

• Of the value of 16,1X11) ducats.— JMrf.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 77
the King's gentlemen told us tliat the King was al
hand ; so within half an hour the King overtook us,
having in his company to the number of two hun
dred men following him ; so when he was come to
Sir Anthony, he took him about the middle and kis
sing him two or three times, sware that he thought
every day a year, until he saw him. That night we
supped with the King in a great house which the
King builded on purpose for travellers ; for through
the country, where it is not well inhabited, there the
King hath built great houses which they call Canns,
for the merchants and other travellers to lodge in, and
there you shall have both man's meat and horse meat.
That night at supper, the King was very plea
sant vfith us, until such time as one of his noble
men had angered him, uppn some small occasion,
and then we went to rest. The next morning the
King was stirring very early, and being in wrath,
caused this nobleman which had offended him, to
be tied with chains to a stake, and ten of the King's
gentlemen to throw quinces at him to the number of
one hundred. The King himself did throw the first, so
after they had thrown, evety man one quince. Sir An
thony stepped to the King, entreating him to pardon
him, and throw no more ; the King presently smiled
and said, " Brother, it shall be as thou wilt have it,"
and caused him to be untied, and the nobleman came

78 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
and kissed Sir Anthony's hand ; so that night we
went twelve miles to a gallant city, called Kaschan,
spending the time by the way in hawking and hunt
ing, and we came into the city in the evening, where
we were royally entertained by the citizens. The
King did lie at his own palace, and we were lodg
ed in a nobleman's house, where we were entertain
ed -with all kind of dainties from the citizens. About
ten o'clock in the night we were sent for to meet the
King in the Piazza, which is a feir place, like unto
Smithfield, standing in the middle of the town ; there
we found the King and his nobility, with great store
of torches, and round about the place were lamps
hanged on tlie sides of their houses unlighted; so
the King took us upon the top of a turret, and
caused us to look down towards the lamps, which
lighted all at the twinkling of an eye, and likewise
on the tops of all the houses in the city were lamps
which made a glorious shew, thicker than the stats
in the sky. Then there was such stately fireworks,
made by a Turk, that Sir Anthony did wonder at,
which seemed as if dragons were fighting in the air,
with many other varieties, especially one firework
worth the noting, which was this, there was a great
fountain of water in the Piazza, out of which from
the vety bottom there would arise things hke fishes,
throwing fire out of their mouths about a dozen yards

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 79
high, which we thought a great wonder. So, after
these sights were past, there came in a gallant ban
quet with the sound of drum and trumpet : so when
the banquet was ended, it was my chance to walk
down from the company, being somewhat weary
of sitting cross legged, according to the country
manner ; and going towards the King's palace-gate,
it was my fortune to meet with a very gallant gen
tlewoman, who came running, making such a cry
that I did wonder at her, she came presently to
wards me, and catched me by the arm. I asked her
what the matter was, she said there was one of the
King's gentlemen would have ravished her : so as
I was walking with her, the King came to us all
alone, as his manner is'; sometimes he will go from
the company on the sudden, commanding that no
man shall follow him. He asked the woman why
she cried, she answered, that one of his servants
would have ravished her, and another did stand by
and would not help her. The, King demanded
where they were, she said, they were in his court ;
then the King did take her by the hand, and going
towards his palace-gate, there came a couple of gen
tlemen forth of the gate. "There they are," said the
woman, " seeing that this is the man that would have
ravished me, and that is he that did stand by." The
King presently halloed, and immediately there came

80 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
running all the company, both lords and others, but
Sir Anthony was the first man that came to the
King; for they were all afraid to hear him call;
yet, when his company was come together, he asked
once again the cause of her crying ; she said as she
said before. Then the King caused the gentleman
that did stand by, and would not rescue the woman,
to have his two little fingers cut off, and so he kis
sed the King's foot and departed, but the other he
put to cruel torments : for first he caused his tongue
to be cut off, then his eyelids, the crown of his
head, his lips, his nose, and after all this, they did
cut his ham strings ; this being finished, the King,
looking upon him, used these words : " Villain, be
thou an example to all other men : do I allow in my
country that for money any man may have the use of
a woman, and wilt thou make my house a stews ?"
With that the man's father came to entreat the King
he might carry away his son. He said, " No, here
shall he lie and starve in this place, and he that
cometh near him, to give him any aid, shall be
served in the like manner." Well, after we had pas
sed away three days with all varieties of sports,
as namely these, wrestling with men naked, fighting
of camels, and rams of antelopes, bear-baiting, bull-
baiting, and such other sports; we held on our
journey to that famous city of Ispahan, riding

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 81
through many towns, but none worth the noting, save
only one, which was called Coome, where we were
kindly received by the townsmen ; there we rested
one day and a night, but did hold on our journey,
hawking and hunting by the way ; wherewith, in
three days, we came within three miles of Ispahan,
where we lodged all night, both the King and all the
rest ofhis lords. The next morning, by nine of the
clock, we made ourselves ready to attend the King,
where, after we had ridden but one quarter of a mile,
we saw in a valley the King's'soldiers, to the number
of thirty thousand men, attending the King's coining ;
who when they perceived the King was at hand, the
drums and trumpets made such a noise, as if heaven
and earth had met together ; there were also the
heads of men carried upon lances : so, after the king
had spoken to them, they fell all into a. half-moon,
and marched after the King's train. So when we
came within two miles of the city, the citizens did
meet him very gallantly appareled, to the number of
some ten thousand : they made a way of taffety
and satin lying upon the ground for the King to
ride upon : the King, when he saw it, gave them
great thanks, which pleased the citizens very much.
Then the King did take Sir Arithony by the hand,
and willed hi'm to ride his horse upon it, but Sir An
thony would not by any means'; so when' the King
G

82 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
saw he would not, he called his guards to him, and
gave all the silks and satin to them, and they shared
it among them. There we made a stand, and the
King caused his lieutenant-general to see his soldiers
skirmish : and some of his gentlemen being amongst
them, did not behave themselves to the King's mind;
and, moreover, his soldiers were not so perfect as the
king did expect they should; whereupon he pre
sently ran in amongst them with his sword drawn,
like to an Hercules, and, upon a sudden, he gave
four of them their death's wound. Then did he grow
more into blood, and not sparing any, but cutting off
the arms from divers of them. One gentleman, which
did but only smile, the King never left, and coming
for succour into our company, the king gave him
such a blow on the middle, that the one half of his
body fell from the other. There we spent that day,
and in the evening, about six of the clock, we
marched towards the city, where the governor lead
ing the way, the yotmg prince came riding fast by
him, and jesting vrith him somewhat grossly about
his wife, in regard she was a fair woman, the gover
nor did use some unkind word to the prince, which
made him angty; so he came presently and told the
king, who charged him to take his bow and arrows
and shoot him tlirough ; which he did immediately,
and did shoot him through one of the thighs. Tlie

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 83
governor presently did alight off from his horse, and
came and kissed the prince's feet ; when the King
saw it, he came to the governor and kissed him, and
made him viceroy of that province, and ever after
did impose great trust into him : so we entered the
city, and marched about in evety street. Then the
King brought Sir Anthony to his house, which was
prepared ready for his coming, and willed him to
have patience, and he would see him again in the
morning ; then the King went to his palace, and that
night we rested. There were slain that day to the
number of seven score, in regard of the extremity of
the heat, and those which the King himself did kill ;
amongst the rest, it was the Ring's fortune to kill one
of Sir Anthony's footmen, being a Persian ; and
when the King was told of it, he was exceeding sor
ry, thinking he had been a Christian, and he came
the next morning in private to Sir Anthony, and
told him he was exceeding sorry, wishing it had been
his fortune to have slain a dozen Persians for him ;
Sir Anthony made answer, that he was a Persian :
when the king heard it, he was exceeding glad, and
.willed Sir Anthony to make choice of any footman
that he had ; and thus much for our entertainment
into Persia.

84 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURED
Now -will I treat of the manner, condition, and fashion
of ihe Persians.
You shall understand, that the country of Persia
is far more pleasant for a stranger to live in than the
Turks' country, for this King, since his coming to the
crown, hath brought this country into such subjec
tion, that a man may travel through it with a rod in
his hand, having no other weapon, without any hurt:
the people are vety courteous and firiendly to stran
gers ; their apparel very neat and comely. The men
wear long coats to the small of their legs, with great
rolls on their heads of divers colours, called tur
bans : they wear gowns furred with rich fur; for,
although the country be exceeding hot, they always
wear furred gowns. The women are very beautifiil,
for the better sort, in regard they wear veils over
their heads, so that the sun never shines on their
faces ; the women do wear breeches as well as the
men, and red velvet stockings. The men have only
one wife, but as many Concubines as they can keep :
a woman that is married, and is proved to commit
adultery, she is presently burnt : and as it is allowed
in the Turks' kingdom for the men to have the use
of boys, it is not so here, for the Persians do se
verely punish that vice, for I saw a notable exam
ple : — at my being in die country, there was a great

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 85
nobleman, called Peer Calliberg, and allied to tlie
King, which did offer that abuse to one of the King's
pages, offering him a large gift, but the boy did ac
quaint the King witli it ; which when the King heard
of it, he sent presently in a rage for the lord, and caus
ed the boy to cut off his head -with his own sword.
Moreover, as the Turks do hold the kindred of Ma
homet in great reverence amongst them, so the Per
sians do contrary unto them; for you shall see in every
town through the kingdom of Persia, once a day, one
walks along the streets with an axe on his shoulder,
and speaking these words with a loud voice, " that
if any man do hold Mahomet's kindred to be better
than any other man, or if any one do say that he is
of his kindred, he shall presently lose his head ;"
for I myself saw a Turk, that was in Ispahan, come
to the fellow, and say that he was of Mahomet's
kindred, and in that opinion he wbuld die ; and so
kneeled down, laying his head upon a block, and the
fellow immediately cut off his head. Their belief is
in God the father, and in Mortus Ali, and they
hold Mahomet to be a great prophet. They have
churches and very fair churchyards, which they keep ,
very clean, with a pulpit in the middle of the church
yard; and like-wise a fountain, which they use td
wash them in before they go to prayer. They have

86 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
also holy men, v.'hich they call Santons, whom
they put much trust unto, that they can tell them
what shall happen to them if they take a journey
in hand : these men go naked, without shirts, only
they have a felt gown of blue ; and every year,
on that day that Mortus Ali died, they will slash
themselves all over their arms and breasts with
knives, in most piteous manner, that sometimes
they die with it. Their priests go appareled in
white, and preach every Friday, for that day is
their sabbath : they pray with great devotion, for
I myself have seen them at their prayers with
such zeal, that they have fallen into a swoon. They
keep their Lent much about that time that we do
here in England, and they call it their Bairum : it
lasteth twenty-eight days, and all the day they eat
no meat, until the south star do appear, and then
diey go to their victuals ; and then will they sport
themselves all night. Tlie better sort of them do
never at this, or any other time, drink wine, except
they have a licence from the King ; and sometimes
the King, in his humour, will cause a proclamation
to be made, that for three days any man may drink
wine at his pleasure ; then sometimes you shall see
them drunk, and then will the King take great de
light to walk up and down die city to see them; but

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 87
he that is found drunk when thosfe three days are
expired shall presently lose his head : all Christians
are allowed to drink wine, and all the King's servants.
The country is very well furnished with all kinds
of fruit ; they have great store of wheat, so that bread
is vety cheap, and victuals at a vety good rate : the
most of tlieir feeding is rice, dressed divers kind of
ways. The King will go in private to their markets,
to see what order they keep ; for, two years before
our coming into the countty, the King had been in
the market at Ispahan, and falling in talk with a
fellow that sold milk, he asked him how the go
vernor of that place where he dwelt did behave him--
self; " Why," said the fellow, being of a bold spirit,
'' if I was in his place I would bring the King a do
zen heads a week of -villains that rob up and down
the country, so that we can scarce go a stone's cast
from our houses, but we shall be robbed ; and the
governor doth bear with them, and takes money of
them to let them live in that fashion." The King
hearing this, liked the fellow well, desiring him to
come to the court the next morning, and he would
shew him the King's house, bidding him, when he
came, to ask some of the King's guard for one Abbas ;
the fellow said he would : so, when the king came
to the court, he gave order with his guard that when
such a fellow came to speak with one Abbas, the

88 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURE;.
next morning, they should bring him to him. Well,
the next morning the man came, according to his
promise, and demanded of some of the guard for
one Abbas ; so they brought him presently to the
King's bed-chamber ; when the King heard that he
was come, he caused him to be brought in unto
him. When the man did perceive that it was the
King, he fell down on his knees, asking him forgive
ness : the King commanded him to stand up, and
sent for apparel for him, and gave him the command
of fifty, men, charging . him, first to bring the go
vernor to him, which he did within three days after,
who presently lost his head. Then the King charged
him to bring him. the twelve heads of those villains
which robbed in the country the next week fol
lowing, or else he should lose his own ; so he took
his leave of the King for.that.time ; and -within four
days after, he brought the King twenty heads. Vfhen
the King, saw that, he gave him the command of
fifty, men more, and made him governor of that
place : and he behaved himself so well, that he
brought the country, in one month's space, to such
quietness, that a man might walk with a rod in his
hand widiout hurt. The King, after a small time,
did take such a liking of him, that he made him cap
tain of his guard, and gave him the command of a
thousand men, to keep tiie borders ofhis country.

OF TUE THREE SHERLEYS. 89
It happened upon a time, that the King being in
progress, (for this is his custom, he doth never trou
ble his country with carriages, but hath carriages of
his own for that purpose, and all his nobility ;) the
King, in the way, did overtake some carriages of
this new-made governor, whereof were six mules
laden ; the middle mule having his carriage covered
-with a carpet wrought with silk and gold ; he de
manded of the men whose carriage it was ; one
made answer, that it wels the Lord Mustriffa's, cap
tain of his guard, for so the King had created him.
The King that night did lodge in his tent ; this new-
made lord came to the court somewhat late ; but,
when, the King did hear of his coming, he presently
did call for him, and told him, that he did overtake
his carriages, whereof there was one mule that was
covered vrith a gold carpet, which lading, said jthe
King, I must have. He presently did fall on his
knees, and entreated the King to take all the rest,
for, that was all the wealth, he had. The King pre
sently was in great rage, against him, and caused
him to be laden with irons, and went presently
where his carriage was; there, finding it to be a
chest, he caused it to be broken open, and there he
found nothing but his old cloaths and his milk-pails,
which he used to sell his milk with. When the King
saw it, he presently wept, because he had done him

90 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
SO much wrong ; then he asked him why he did keep
those so safe; he answered, — "that the favours of
princes sometimes are lost for a small fault; and his
fortune may in time prove so bad, in regard there
were many in the court which did envy his honour,
and fortunes he had received ; which made me re
serve those, if such a chance should happen, to get
me my living." The King presently caused them to
be bunit, and created him a duke, adding four thou
sand tomans a year to his living, which is eight
thousand pounds English ; and, at our being there,
he was most in favour with the King. He was, abso
lutely, a man of the bravest carriage in the court,
and did use Sir Anthony vety kindly, and all his
company, but especially myself, for I did receive
many kindnesses from him.
And in this fashion hath this King exalted many
poor men to honour since his coming to the crown.
The King's disposition is noted by his apparel which
he wears that day ; for that day which he weareth
black, he is commonly melancholy and civil ; if he
wear white, or green, yellow, or any other light
colour, he is commonly merty ; but when he weareth
red, then all the court is afraid of him, for he will
be sure to kill somebody that day : I have oft-times
noted it. They have martial law in the country ;
for if a man be found to steal the wordi of sixpence,

OF TUE THREE SHERLEYS. 91
he is presently hanged at the next tree, by order of
the governor of that place wherein he is taken ; for
every litde town or village hath its governor, or, as
they call them, cadies ; and commonly where the
King is, he will give justice himself. The King
doth ever ride with a great train, to die number of
five or six hundred men, in his company. They are
vety expert in their pieces or muskets ; for although
there are some which have written, now of late, that
they had not the use of pieces until our coming into
the countty, this much I must write to their praise,
that I did never see better barrels of muskets than I
did see there : and the King hath, hard by his court
at Ispahan, about two hundred men at work, only
making of pieces, bows and arrows, swords and
targets ; and thus concerning the fashion, manner,
and custom of the Persians.
Now to the former matter : — I shewed you before
how the King sent us fourteen horses at Casbin,
with other provision, to attend him from thence to
Ispahan ; leaving the rest of our company behind
us, under the conduct of Mr. Abel Pinson, who
was then steward to Sir Antliony, which were to the
number of twenty-four persons, English, French,
Greeks, and Persians, who were gallantly furnished
by the viceroy of the whole kingdom, every man
his horse and furniture, according to his vocation,

92 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
and were conducted by one bf his own gentlemen
from Casbin to Ispahan ; where, after their coming
to us, we stayed there six months, without any
remove, spending our time in hawking, hunting,
and other sports. In the which time the King was
resolved to send Mr. Robert Sherley to the Queen of
England, with a very rich present, only to shew
how much he honoured her ; but Sir Anthony altered
the King's mind ; persuading him to send to all the
princes in Christendom, which he was assured the
Queen would like well of, and to be in league -with
them all, and he would undertake to accomplish.the
embassage; and, moreover, that he would maintain
wars against the Turk on that side of him, and he would
work so .with the Christian princes that they should
maintain wars on the other side; and so, by that
means, overthrow him. The which matter the king
was exceeding glad of, gi-ving Sir. Anthony many
thanks for his good invention; and presently he
sent away the Turk's embassador, who was come
thither to renew the league between the Great Turk
and the King of Persia; commanding him to tell his
master, that he would never rest until he were in
the field against him. At which answer of the
King's, the Persians did much rejoice; for there was
an old proverb in Persia, that there should come a
Christian fiom far into their country, by whose ad-

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 93
vice they should gain all their rights from the Great
Turk, which the Persians in former times had lost.
Yet, after all this was concluded upon, the King was
very loth to part from Sir Anthony, and offered him
to be lieutenant-general of all his forces against the
Turk; which offer Sir Anthony did highly embrace;
yet in regard he was a man of greater note than his
brother was, did make choice to go of this embas
sage, and to return again with as much speed as he
possibly could ; but malafortuna did happen on him
by the way. Then Sir Anthony did request, the
King to send a Persian along with him, some man of
account, to witness with him how much the King
did embrace the love of the Christian princes. The
King did very well like of his motion, and made
choice of one which had followed him long, whose
name was Seane Olibeg;* the King created him a
lord, and allowed him sixteen men to attend on him.
Moreover, the King promised Sir Anthony that he
would send presents to every prince, of a great value.
Well, after all these matters were concluded on,
there came to - us a Franciscan friar to Ispahan,
and told Sir Anthony, in regard he was a Christian,
he was the more bolder to come to him ; and told

* Cuchiri AUibi  Sherley.

94 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
him, moreover, that there was another friar coming,
a Dominican friar, who was Bishop of Or
mus, a Portugal born, and he was going of great
business to the King of Spain : his request was this,
that Sir Anthony would get him that favour from the
King, that he might go appareled in his own weed or
habit; which favour Sir Anthony did obtain of the
King. And the next day Sir Anthony did go and
meet him four miles forth of Ispahan, with one hun
dred horse to attend him ; and so he brought him
into the city, and lodged him in his own house.
The next day after, he brought him to the King, who
received him for Sir Anthony's sake vety royally ;
and the King gave him a crucifix of gold set with
diamonds, turquoises, and rubies, which crucifix was
sent the King from Presbiter Jhan, as the King him
self did shew unto us. The King asked the friar
" where he had travelled ?" the friar answered,
" that he was sent from the Pope as his deputy into
those parts amongst the Christians ;" " the Pope,"
said the King, " what is he ?" although he did know
very well what he was, yet did he make as though
he had never heard of him : the friar made answer,
" that the Pope was Christ's vicar upon earth, to
pardon and forgive sins ;" " then,'' quoth the King;
"he must needs be a very old man, if he have been
here on earth ever since Christ was crucified by the

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 95
Jews :'' " nay," said the friar, " there hath been
many Popes since that time, for when one dieth ano
ther cometh into his place." " What !" said the King,
" are they earthly men born in Italy or in Rome';"
" yes," said the friar :" " but have they at any time
talked with Christ, or God the Father V said die
King ; " no," quoth the friar. Then the King made
this answer, — " I do not believe that any man on
earth can pardon or forgive sins, but God the Fa
ther; and for Christ," said the King, " I do hold him
to be a great prophet, yea, the greatest that ever was ;
and I do think, verily, that if any man could forgive
sins, it was he ; for I have read that he did great
miracles when he was upon the earth ; he was born
of a woman ; but, as I have read, the angel of God
came to her, and breathed on her, and so was he
conceived. I have read, likewise, of his crucifying
by the Jews, which doth make me hate them ; for
to this hour there is none suffered to live in my
countty." The friar was stricken mute ; and
we all did wonder to hear the King reason
so exceeding well, in regard he was a heathen ; but
he told Sir Anthony he was almost a Christian in
heart, since his coming unto him. So after we had
staid there two weeks longer, the King's letters were
ready to all the Christian princes, which Sir An
thony received from the King. So we took our

96 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
leaves of Ispahan, and the King brought us two days'
journey, and did take his leave of Sir Anthony very
sorrowful ; and did take his brother, Mr. Robert
Sherley, by the hand, whom we left behind us ; and
the King said to Sir Anthony that he -would use him
as his own son, and that he should never want, so
long as he was King of Persia. Then he gave Sir
-Anthony a seal of gold,' and said, "Brother, what
soever thou dost seal unto, be it to the worth of my
kingdom, I will see it paid :" so the king kissed
Sir Anthony three or four times; and kissed us all,
arid said, that if we did return again we should re
ceive great honour. So we departed from the King,
accompanied by the false friar, who, in the end, as
you shall hear hereafter, would have betrayed us
with his -villainy; but Seane Olibeg, that was to come
along with us, stayed behind for the presents, be
cause they were not ready, and he was to come to
us at [ ], where we were to take
shipping : and so much for that part."
In order to continue the narrative of Sir An
thony's adventures, we must now have recourse to
Parry's pamphlet. After relating die occurrences
in the expedition up to this period, it proceeds as
follows :
" Upon the Caspian Sea, which we were to cross,
we were two months before we landed ; which t;me

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 97
we endured with much pain, and no less fear, hav
ing, besides the natural roughness of the sea, veiy
much foul and stormy weather, by reason whereof
we had been like to have suffered shipwreck; the
vessel having twice struck on ground, so that we
were constrained to disburden the same of a great
part of our substance. Howbeit, in the end, God
so blessed us, that in two months we came to our
wished-for harbour ; where, being arrived, the go
vernor having intelligence of our landing, sent a
captain with a guard to receive us, and to conduct
us to the castle of Astracan, where was landed, but
the day before, an ambassador, that the King of
Persia had sent a month before, only to make our
passage through the Emperor of Russia's countty.
From which castle to Moscovv Town we went by
river and by land, ten weeks passing : all which
time Sir Anthony and his company, with the other
ambassadors and their attendants, were all at the
charge of the Russian emperor ; for so is the cus
tom of that country to all travellers of that nature, as
long as they are passing through his dominions, who
eat such meat as is brought before them gratis, hav
ing, withal, a guard set over them ; so that they are
little better than prisoners as long as they are within
the limits of his territories.
From Astracan we passed by boat along the mighty

98 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
river of Volga, until we came to a town named Neg-
son, which was seven weeks' passage. In which
time we saw nothing worthy the noting, but three or
four wooden castles or block houses to guard that
river ; which river doth bring marvellous great com
modities to the Emperor. Divers Tartars passing from
place to place about the river, living in little houses
made upon wheels, and are carried to and fro, having
abundance of cattle, live so in subjection to the em
peror, paying him tribute, &c. One only feir city
we saw all that while, called Cassane, wherein we
were; from whence we passed by Negson, afore
said ; where, by the way, fell out a jar between Sir
Anthony and the other ambassador, because Sir An
thony presumed to reprehend him for divers misde
meanors which he committed, to the dishonour of
his king and country ; insomuch, that had we not
had a guard in our company, one of us had killed
another. Leaving here awhile, I -will turn again to the friar,*
who was by this time grown into mortal hatred widi
his fellow friar, of whom before I spake, whose name
was Alfonso, a friar of the order of St. Francis ;
which friar had acquainted Sir Anthony that friar

* He has, in the former part of his story, given an account of
the friar's misdeeds.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 99
Nicolao had spent hfs life most lewdly in the Indies,
the particularities whereof he at large related. More
over, he told him that, by reason of his licentious
life, the King of Spain had sent for him, because he
did much more hurt than good in those parts, but
never would come until now that he was going thi
therward. He also told Sir Anthony that that pre
sent which he delivered the King of Persia, in his
own name, was sent by a friend of the King's from
Ormus by another, who had withal a letter to the
King : which bearer, being of his acquaintance, he
inveigled and enticed, by the gift of fifty crowns
and fair words, to deliver him the present, together
with the letter to carry to the King, who finally pre
vailed with him ; and when he came to Persia, he
suppressed the letter, but delivered the present in
his own name, as before is declared. Upon disco
very of which villainies. Sir Anthony took him pri
soner, and carried him along -with him, as one de
prived of former liberty : and being come to Negson,
we staid there near hand a month. Towards the end
whereof, the Emperor sent a great man of his court
thither, for to accompany and conduct us to Moscow,
who gave the pre-eminence to the Persian ambassa
dor, in that he was ambassador to the Emperor from
the Persian, and Sir Anthony but a passenger through
his country, as he esteemed him ; and so did use him

100 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
at his pleasure, to Sir Anthony's small contentment,
until we came to Moscow ; where we were enter
tained in the best sort they could, with a crew of
aqua-vitse-bellied fellows, clad in coats of cloth of
gold ; which show being ended for the first encoun
ter, those coats were put up again into the treasury
or wardrobe, and we shut up in prison for ten days ;
yea, all access of others to us, or we to them, was
thereby utterly barred. In which time we sent to
entreat that either our English merchants might be
permitted to come to us, or that we might go or send
to them, for necessaries ; because we were not fitted
with clothes, as we thought, convenient for the
Emperor's presence. Whereupon, the lord chan
cellor sent for the merchants, enquiring of them what
Sir Anthony was, and whether they durst give him
any credit. To whom they replied, that lie was no
bly descended, and allied even to the best men of
England, yea, and that they would give him credit
for as much as they were worth. Hereupon, they
had liberty to send us such necessaries as we sent
for, but no liberty to come to us, much less we to
them. The tenth day we were sent for to come before
the Emperor after their order, wh'ch was to lay
down in a note how every man .should be marshal
led in coming, being all on horseback; wherein the

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 101
Persian ambassador was appointed by the Emperor
to have the first and chief place ; the next that Per
sian that was sent but to accompany Sir Anthony ;
and the last of the three should be Sir Anthony him
self : which, when Sir Anthony perceived, he utterly
refiised to go in that order; because that he, to
whose trust and charge the whole business had been
committed, and by whom the same was solely pro
cured, by which Persia likewise should be infinitely
benefited, especially he being a Christian, and they
Pagans, should be put hindmost in the march, that
was the foremost in the matter.
By the means of which refusal he purchased the
Emperor's displeasure ; and to manifest the same;
first, he took the friar from Sir Anthony, and gave
him his liberty to go whither he thought good ; next,
he daily sent his great dukes to examine Sir Anthony
upon divers frivolous particularities, to prove if they
thereby might grope out some matter of advantage
against him. Thus daily he was extremely vexed
and molested by the Emperor. The Persian ambas
sador, withal, setting on the friar, underhand, to de
vise all the villainy he could against him, as to say
he knew Sir Anthony to be but a man of mean pa
rentage, and also that he was come but as a spy
through the country, for purposes tending to his
own good, and not of Persia and Christendom, as

102 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
he pretended. Whereupon, they took all the king's
letters from him, and opened them, to know the pur
port thereof
Soon after. Sir Anthony and the friar were brought
before the commissioners to be further examined ;
where Sir Anthony, being enflamed vrith choler, by
reason of his exceeding ill-usage, notwithstanding
the goodness of the cause of his coming, demanded
whether the Emperor did ever purpose to send any
ambassadors to any other countries ; protesting, if
ever he met with them in any parts of the world be
sides their own, he would endeavour to let them
know he was not half so well entreated in Russia, as
the cause of his coming of right deserved, and the
Emperor, by the laws divine and civil, ought to have
performed ; and the rather, because he was a Chris
tian, such as he pretends himself to be, and came,
as became a Christian, for the general good of all
Christendom; the Persian being stirred uptheretmto
by his only means. Whereupon, the firiar in terms
thwarted Sir Anthony, whose blood already boiled
vrith the excess of his choler's heat, which as then
abounded : and being, by that graceless and un
grateful friar, further provoked, he, not able, though
instantly he should have died for it, to suppress his
heat, gave the fat friar such a sound box on the face,
his double cause of choler redoubling his might, de-

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 103
sire of revenge -withal augmenting the same, that
down falls the friar, as if he had been struck with
a thunderbolt : which being done with that courage
and high resolution which well appeared in his looks,
words, and deeds, they forthwith gave over exami
nation, because they had too far examined Sir An
thony's patience ; which well they with fear, as I
think, saw, and the friar, almost past fear, did far
better feel. Whereupon they went instantly to the
Emperor, and informed him of all that had hap
pened, and how Sir Anthony was resolved; for
which, as by the event it appeared, he was used the
better. For, from henceforward, we had liberty to
go to the Englishmen, of whom we were very ho
nourably entertained, and royally feasted. Howbeit,
we were constrained to remain there six months ;
expecting every day, for all this, some mischief to
be done unto us, or to be sent into some part of his
country, to be kept where we should not have heard
from our friends in haste, which .we feared worse
than death. Yet, in the end, we were eftsoons sent
for before the privy council, where Sir Anthony had
his charge to be gone, which was no small joy to us
all. But the day before we left Muscovia, it was my
fortune to see the King and his Queen, in ceremoni
ous and triumphal manner, passing out of the city.

104 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
with a great image and a huge bell, to offer to a cer
tain friary some thirty miles off, which was performed
in this sort. — First, all the morning, divers troops of
horse passed out of the city, to stand ready to receive
him at his coming out of the gate. About mid-day,
the King setting his guard foremost, all on horse
back, to the number of five hundred, all clad in
stammell coats, riding in rank, three and three, with
bows and arrows, and swords girt to them, as also
hatchets under die one thigh. After the guard were
led by twenty men, twenty goodly horses, with twen
ty vety rich and curious saddles, and ten more for
his son and heir apparent, being a child of twelve
years of age. After which was led, in like sort,
twenty beautiful white horses for the Queen's cha
riots, having only upon them a fine sheet, and on
their heads a crimson velvet bridle. After them
came a great number of firiars, in their rich caps,
singing, carrying many pictures and lights. After
them followed the greatest part of the merchants of
the city. Next them was led the King's horse for
that day, together with his son's ; the King's saddle
and furniture most richly beset with stones of great
price and beauty. Then followed the patriarch, with
all the archbishops, bishops, and great prelates, sing
ing in their copes, very rich and glorious, having huge
images borne before diem, being very richly inlaid

or THE THREE SHERLEYS. 105
with precious gems of divers colours, and lights about
them. Then followed the King himself, who in his
left-hand had his son above-mentioned, and in his
right-hand his cap. Next him came the Queen,
supported on either side by two old ladies ; her face
was thickly plastered with painting, as were the other
ladies, according to the custom of the country ; her
body very gross, her eyes hollow, and far into her
head, attended -with some threescore very fair wo
men, if painting, which they hold a matter religious,
deceived not the judgment of mine eye. All whose
apparel was very rich beset with pearl, curiously
wrought ; having white hats on their heads, with
great round bands laden with pearl. We never saw
hats worn by any women in the country, but by them
only. Next unto them were drawn three huge cha
riots, the first -with ten fair white horses, two and
two ; the second with eight, and the third with six,
in like order; which chariots were all very rich and
gorgeous within and without : after which all the
noblemen passed in coaches. Then was carried, in
a great chest, the fore-named image, guarded by a
great man and of state in the countty, with some five
hundred under his command, for the guard and con
voy of that image. And last of all came that huge
bell, being of twenty tons' weight, drawn by three
thousand and five hundred men, — not being possible

106 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
to be drawn by oxen or horses, — in manner follow
ing : — they fastened six exceedingly long hawsers,
or mighty great cable ropes, in six lengths, to the
frame whereon the bell was placed ; in this rank of
ropes were placed those three thousand five hundred
men, with little cords over their shoulders fastened to
the great hawsers, dravring after the manner of our
western bargemen here in England.
The poise of the bell was so great, that, passing
along the streets of Moscow, being paved with great
square pieces of timber, set close one by another,
the wood of this frame or carriage, whereon the bell
was drawn, set the timber of the streets on fire,
through both the woods chafing together ; so that
some were fain to follow hard after, to throw on
water as the timber began to smoke : and thus was
this bell and the image conveyed to the friary, as
hath before been said.
The next day following we took our journey ;
that is to say, in mid-May, towards Saint Nicolas,
to take shipping, which was some six weeks' passage
by land and river ; during all which time, we saw
nothing, in a manner, but woods and water. But,
being come to the sea-side, the place where we
were to take ship, we staid there one month for
provision for our journey ; in which time, we were
divers times invited aboard English ships, where we

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 107
were royally banquetted, at the agent's charge, and
the merchants' ; to the solemnization of which ban
quet, we had three hundred great shot. And as we
staid there, one Master Megrich, a merchant, came
from Moscow, and brought the firiar's two letters with
him, reporting, that the lord chancellor, in satisfaction
of the wrong and ill-usage he extended to Sir An
thony, sent after the friar to the borders, who took
both his letters and all his substance, that he had
deceitfully and lewdly gotten many years before in
the Indies, from him, leaving him not so much as
his friar's weed ; and whether he caused his throat
to be cut it was uncertain, but not unlike.
From hence we took ship for Stode, being six
weeks upon the sea ere we could recover it ; in which
time we were continually tossed and tumbled with
contrary winds, and some had been like to have
been utterly cast away; so that we all were over
whelmed -with despair, as we were at point to be in
the sea; but that, by God's protection and direction,
we, past all expectation, fell upon the Fly ; where,
ha-ving divers letters of Sir Anthony's to his friends
in England, I parted from him; he holding his
course towards the Emperor of Germany ; from
whence I came to the Texel, then to the Firme, so
to the Hague, from the Hague to Flushing, and,
finally, from thence to Dover, where I landed in the

108 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
midst of the month of September, the three-and-
fortieth year of the Queen's majesty's reign, and in
the year of our Lord God 1601."
And now the yarn, out of which our history is
manufactured, must be mingled vrith a few threads
from the work of the anonymous author to whom
we before referred. Passing over the adventures
which happened in Russia, he continues the narra
tive in the following terms ;
" Sir Anthony his receiving into Prague by Rodol-
phus. Emperor of Germany.
Sir Anthony, failing of his expectation in Russia,
made what haste he could into Germany; but, for
want of true instructions, we must let slip his oc*
currents in the way, and, with a pace as swift as
thought, bring him from Russia to Prague. The
Emperor understanding of his coming, (as, whereso
ever he came, his fame went still before him,) com
manded thirteen coaches to be sent for him, the
Persian, and their train. There came, also, to meet
him, and to do him honour, at least five thousand
men, whereof the most of them were colonels, cap
tains, lieutenants, and gentlemen of note and
account, together with many of the nobility; and
with tins train and attendance he was brought.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 109
with solemn and observant state and regard, into
the city of Prague; where, being royally entertained
in the Emperor's court, and having delivered the
purport and tenor of his embassy, he found all things
answerable to his worth, and the weight of his affairs.
His lodging, together with the Persian's, was provided
in a fair house, not far from the court. They were
served in plate parcel-gdt, but in divers manner,
according to the several customs of their countries.
He lay in Prague half-atyear ; in all which time he
found nothing but revels, feastings, and other plea
sures of court. Whenever he went abroad, he had
allowed him, by the Emperor's appointment, a fair
coach, drawn by six horses. The Persian had the
like : but still Sir Anthony had the chiefest place
and regard, which was the only cause of the often
jars and breaches that were between them ; for the
Persian, being haughty and ambitious, would, many
times, in his pride and insulting humour, as well
openly in words and behaviour as closely, underhand,
with plots and devices, attempt many things to bring
Sir Anthony into disgrace, which still was revealed,
and in the end revenged, even by his o-wn prince, in
his own countty, as you shall afterwards hear, to Sir
Anthony's honour, and the Persian's shame and
confusion. But to return : — having taken his leave of the

110 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Emperor in all reverend and solemn manner, he
came from thence to Nuremberg ; where, by his
welcome and costly entertainment, the citizens
showed what account and estimation they held of
him.; where, also, besides many stately banquets and
rich presents, they bare all his charges for four days;
and, at his departure, they presented two cups of
gold, one to Sir Anthony, the other to the Persian.
Howbeit, the lining of Sir Anthony's cup was better
than the outside, for it was stuffed full of gold.
Ha-ving taken his leave at Nuremberg, he came to
Augusta, where he was well entertained; from
thence to Munchen, where, also, the Duke of Ba
varia gave him great entertainment ; from Munchen
he came to Inspmck, where stands the stately house
of Austria; from thence to Trent, and so to Rome;
in all which places he still found his entertainment
beyond expectation.
At Rome, the Persian and he fell again at odds
about superiority, when Sir Anthony plainly told
him, that he had many times borne with his proud
and insolent behaviour more than stood with his
own honour and natural condition, only for the
furtherance of the negociations they had in hand ;
which, since (saith he) you have done what is in
your power to cross, observing rather your own
ambitious humour, than the nature and quality of

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. Ill
our employments, I will give you to understand, that,
from henceforth, I will take a more strict note, and
use a more peremptory controulment both of your
words, gestures, and actions ; and you shall learn to
know I am your superior, and that I do nothing
that becomes me not, both in the worthiness of mine
own person, and in the virtue and authority of my
commission. The Persian being thus galled, having
neither a mind to suffer, nor a heart to revenge, in a
sullen mood departed from Sir Anthony, and took
his journey towards Persia, plotting and devising, by
the way, all means he could to article against Sir
Anthony, letting nothing slip either from his own
mischievous conceit, or the false and malicious
suggestions and informations of his followers, to
bring Sir Anthony into contempt with his King.
But, as many a man digs a pit for others and falls
into it himself, so this unhappy Persian, supposing
he had carried the poison of Sir Anthony's disgrace,
brought into his heart the bane of his own undoing ;
for, being come to court, and having delivered before
the Persian King, in the presence of Mr. Robert
Sherley, the whole process of their travels, he did,
in a particular manner, and with an envious and
malicious tongue, prefer his suborned and sug
gested accusations against Sir Anthony; which
Robert Sherley hearing, with countenance and

112 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
words both befitting himself and his wronged brother,
humbly besought the King, that there might be an in
different hearing of this matter, and himself admit
ted to plead his brother's cause; which being
granted, he so tripped and confounded the Persian
in his informations, that being found guilty in the
breat h of his commission, and that he had demeaned
himself in these great affairs with arts and beha
viours derogatory to the honour of his King, and
dangerous to the effecting of so great a business,
and his accusations against Sir Anthony savouring
of malice and not of truth,' he was finally doomed by
the King to have his hands cut off, and his tongue
cut out, in the presence of Mr. Robert Sherley;
who, being demanded what he would have more
done unto him in the revenge ofhis brother's wrong,
he answered, that he took no delight in his torment,
and that which was already done was more than he
was willing or consenting to ; and that now he would
entreat in the behalf of the miserable Persian, for
that he supposed there could not be in his case a
greater pleasure done unto him, than to have his
head follow the fortune of his tongue and hands.
Thus ended at one time both the pride and life of
this unhappy Persian.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 113
Of Sir Anthony Sherley's Voyage and Travels into
Spain, with his entertainment ihere.
Man, in regard of his mind and body, being
compared to heaven and earth, is said to be a litde
world ; — the one subject to corruption, the other to
immortality. Gold and silver, therefore, which
Saint Bernard calls the. terra rubra et alba, are not
said to be the riches of the mind ; but virtue
is her di-vine substance, by the power whereof
she doth extinguish that immoderate fire of sense
and appetite, wherewith man's nature is dangerously
inflamed; drawing it to be governed by the qualified
and temperate rule of reason : and, in the excellen
cy of her o-wn account, being carried aloft with her
celestial wings, (her object being drawn another
way) she either beholds not, or doth not esteem, the
riches, pleasures, and profits of the world, or what
soever the base delights and erroneous desires of
men hold to be precious. From whence it comes,
that, ha-ving the body's government and virtue to be
her own guide, she doth so rule and order it in all
her projects and intendments, that she suffers it to
commit nothing uncomely or unworthy her direc
tion ; but, with a mutual sympathy and agreement,
they pass the whole progress of this life, shewing
themselves, in all their desires and designs, to be

114 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
religious, temperate, just, honourable, and worthy
the image of their Creator. They are not servilely
tied to any place or country, nor Mled with the
delight of idleness, and home-bred pleasures; but
as well to enrich the intellectual parts with know
ledge and experience, as to exercise the body vrith
the practice of labour, and grace the life -with vir
tuous attempts, they seek out other climates; pre
ferring the honourable drift of their desires, before
the respect of life, and whatsoever is dearest unto
man. And thus, having the assistance of the divine
power, what a memorial do they leave behind,
worthy to be recorded to all posterity ! Such was
Paulus .Smilius, and Publius Cornelius Scipio;
who, in their hostile employments, and successfiil
attempts against Perseus and Hannibal, the two ob
jects of their honourable emulations, and the dan
gerous enemies of their country, besides their
valours, directions, policies, stratagems, ordering,
and ending of their wars, were otherwise and even
in their victories, and all their civil actions, so tem
perate, and so virtuously governed, that, at their
return, men of all countries repaired to Rome, only
to see them, and honour them, as men exceeding the
state of mortality.
And when I compare die time of Sir Andiony

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 115
Sherley's departure out of England, together with
those great attempts he hath undertaken and com
passed, (whereof I cannot discourse at large, being
solemnly * instructed,) I am drawn to wonder, that
neither the desire which evety man naturally hath
to his own country, nor the joyful welcomes, nor
honourable entertainments that attend him there, can
any whit stir his mind, or draw his affections, from
his purposed intendments against the Turk, as
well to shew the Christian respect he bears to his
religion (it being the principal square and rule of
all his attempts and actions) ; as, also, to make good
his promise and protestation to the Persian King,
still to persist in stirring up the minds and powers
of the bordering kings, enemies to the house of
Ottoman, and the Turkish Alcoran, that there is a
great hope and expectancy, in a short time, to a
sudden darkening and eclipse of that glaring
beauty, and out-stretched bounds, of the Turkish
empire. Let us, therefore, attend him awhile into Spain
(having already passed Russia, and Germany, and
other parts) ; where, being entertained with all the
honour of the court, and having delivered his mes-

* By whom or for what reason the author was so instructed, we
are unable to say.

116 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
sage (wherein was included the scope and purpose
of his coming thither, both in regard thereof, and of
the honourable league newly made, and likely to be
continued, betwixt the two femous Kings of Eng
land and Spain), he found his entertainment
doubled, his lodging and provision, both for himself
and his retinue, in sumptuous manner prepared;
to be brief, nothing wanting, that inight either
satisfy the delight and pleasures of an honourable
stranger, or set forth the state and majesty of so
great a prince.
But Sir Anthony, not desirous to buty his
thoughts in the delights of the court, nor sleeping
in the pleasures of that flourishing kingdom, had
still his mind waking upon his affairs ; holding all
time mis-spent, that was not spent in revol-ving,
consulting, and concluding, of the business he had
in hand ; that his toiling mind scarce gave his body
rest, so great a desire had he both to redeem his
brother, whom he left as a pledge vrith the Persian
King, but, chiefly, to restore religion to those un
happy conquered kingdoms by the Turks ; where
now the holy churches, and sanctified temples of
our Saviour, are changed to be the idolatrous places
of the blasphemous synagogue of iSIahomet.
He staid not long in Spain before the King
installed him one of the knights of the honourable

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 117
order of St. Jago, and created him captain of his
galleys, for the wars against the Turks ; so great a
liking and love he seemed to bear, as well to his
person, as to the state and condition of his affairs ;
which Sir Anthony, at all convenient times, did
urge and prosecute, pretermitting no occasion that
inight still stir up and confirm the mind of this
young King, vrith an honourable desire to undertake
this war.
And he had, thus, many honours done unto him
by the King of Spain, and was well entreated by
most of his nobility ; so was he as much crost by
some other of that country, whom he had freed
from captivity; for having, by suit, obtained the
liberty and ransom of three who had been taken
prisoners ; the said prisoners upon this enlarged, and
Sir Anthony expecting the payment of their ran
soms, received vety good dealings at the hands of
two of them ; but the other unthankful wretch, to
save the ransom which he was to pay, ministered a
draught of poison to him ; which wrought so fer
vrith him, that it caused both the hair of his head,
and the nails of his fingers, to fall off, and yet took
not that devilish effect that he desired; for in a
short time he recovered, and God restored him to
his former health.

118 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Sir Anthony his expedition into Turkey, -with his respec
tive kindness done to an English merchant at Lisbon.
But to return to Sir Anthony: — his expedition into
Turkey being thus concluded on, great preparation
was made for the war ; soldiers and sailors taken
up in all parts, provision for armour and artillety,
rigging of ships and galleys, great suit for places of
command and offices of account, new colonels, cap
tains, and lieutenants made : in all which Sir An
thony had the most special place of command. In
fine, his commission was signed, wherein he was
established captain-general of the navy, consisting
of two hundred great ships, besides galleys and
many other smaller vessels for provision, and thirty
thousand land soldiers. All things being thus in
readiness. Sir Anthony repaired to the court, to take
his leave of the King. The King, after a great many
signs and tokens of grace and favour, took from his
own neck a jewel of great price, with the picture of
Philip, his father, on the one side, and his own on
the other, and delivered it to Sir Anthony with these
words ;.;— " When you look upon this, think on me."
Sir Anthony, receiving it in all humble and thankful
manner, protested that his life and that should part
together. Thus, when all solemnities and compliments of

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 119
partipg were ended. Sir Anthony made what haste
he could to Lisbon, where his army staid his coming,
and where, in a second state of entertainment, he
found his welcome beyond expectation. But the
wind joining with the necessity of his affairs, that
required expedition, staid him not long here. How
beit, before his departure from Lisbon, we should do
him wrong unkindly to forget the remembrance of a
great benefit and good turn done by him to a certain
English merchant, whose name and credit is well
known in London ; for Sir Anthony had ever a care,
in all his travels, to relie-ve such whom he found
distressed, and especially his countrymen; as,
amongst others, this instance.
This merchant having; against the laws and cus
toms of Spain, embarked twelve thousand ducats of
gold of the Spanish coin, with a purpose to have
transported them into England, the searcher, and
other officers for the King, having knowledge thereof,
seized the whole sum into their own hands, it being
by authority prohibited, and therefore forfeited unto
them by the laws of the land. The merchant being
much moved -with this unfortunate and unexpected
chance, it being the principal stock whereon his
state relied, with a heavy heart repaired to Sir An
thony, unto whom complaining of his miserable es
tate by this accident, besought his favour that it

120 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTUBES
would please him to extend the credit of his place
for the recovery of this great sum, which, being lost,
he well knew would be the undoing both of himself,
his vrife, and children; protesting that, in lieu
thereof, he should command what part of it it pleas
ed him, and that he should ever hold himself so much
bound unto him, as that he would fhenceforwards
still acknowledge him to be the principal upholder
ofhis state and fortunes.
Sir Anthony, being moved with pity of the mer
chant's mischance, so charmed the watchfiil keepers
of this treasure, that, to his gi'eat honour arid com-
mendatioUj without appropriating any part thereof to
his own use, he soon returned back this great sum into
the merchant's possession ;' who, like Jason with his
companions, did merrily sail homewards vrith this
golden fleece. Shortly after. Sir Anthony vrith all
his navy weighed anchor, and, -with a prosperous
gale of vrind, soon lost the sight of Spain and Portu
gal. And we must now, for want of fiirther intelli
gence, leave him upon the Levant seas, to that hope
ful happy fortune that attends this honourable enter
prise." What this " hopeful happy fortune" was, we
are constrained, from a similar want of further in
telligence, to omit, and to proceed with the narrative
of such of his adventures as are vrithin our knowledge.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 121
In 1604, this extraordinary man was employed
by the Emperor of Germany, as ambassador to the
King of Morocco. A brief account* of the embas
sage is preserved in Purchas's Pilgrims, which exhi
bits several traits of Sir Anthony's character in a
striking point of view.
" About this time, the beginning of October, arrived
at Saffi Sir Anthony Sherley, as ambassador from
the Emperor of Germany to the King of Morocco.
His attendance was better than a private man,
though somewhat wanting of the person firom wjiom
he was sent; few of note were in his company, be
ing in all about thirteen persons, of every Christian
language one, because he would be fitted for inter
pretation of tongues. Amongst these was Sir Ed
win Rich, whose behaviour was good, and well
spoken of in evety place where he came ; not strain
ing his credit to borrow money, but well provided to
serve his own turn, answering to his birth, state, and
disbursements for the time. Sir Anthony, then
taking the title of ambassador, during four months'
abode in Saffi, kept open house, invited all Chris
tian merchants daily, both to dinner and supper.
To supply his own turn for money, he. got credit of

• Collections of things most memorable in the History of Bar
bary. Written by Ro. C. Purchas, boolt 6. c. 1. 5. 3.

122 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Jews to take up money, to pay them in Morocco,
but at excessive rate, almost fifty for a hundred.
He bought, likewise, of an English merchant's fac
tor, beirig at dinner with him, at two or three words,
a ship of a hundred and sixty ton, with all her la
ding, being wheat ; paying him iu hand two thousand
ounces, and if he were not paid the rest of his mo
ney within ten days after his arrival in Morocco,
then the buyer to lose his earnest. But before he
went up, Abdelmelich returning fi:om Fez, by reason
of his soldiers' treason, the King of Fez marched
towards Morocco some four days' journey, and tiiere
gave siege unto a port town called Sallee, and took
it, but the castle he could not win. So the Alkeyd
of die castle wrote to Muley Boferes, that though the
town were lost, the castle he would keep for him, if
he sent three hundred quarters of corn to -rictual his
men, and, a fresh supply of fifty soldiers. Boferes,
loath to lose the place, and hearing Sir Anthony had
bought a ship of corn, wrote to Safla, and vrilled
him to send his ship to Sallee, and there to unlade
her corn for the relieT of the castellan and his sol
diers. Sir Anthony, willing to do the King a fe-
vour, sent for the captain and merchant of the ship,
and willed them to go for Sallee, and paying them
for three hundred quarters, dealt so that thither they

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 123
went ; but the castle being yielded before they came,
the captain and merchant landed neither men nor
corn, but returned to Saffi.
By this time were sent, for the conduct of the
ambassador, five hundred men, under the command
of two Alkeyds. Unto evety soldier Sir Anthony
gave a turbith, as a livery of his love, which made
them respect and honour him exceedingly; inso
much, that one of the two Alkeyds not hastening to
conduct the ambassador up to Morocco, Sir An
thony desirous to set forward, and the soldiers, wil
ling to pleSsure him, fell to mutiny in regard of the
Alkeyd's slackness, killing two ofhis men, to hasten
their master forward. After his four months' abode
in Saffi, wherein bis bounty was extraordinary,
not to his counttymen only, but to Flemish, French,
and Spanish, admired of his soldiers, he was received
into Morocco in great state ;' having by the way, as
also during his abode in Saffi, divers letters from
the King, extolling his honourable endeavours, and
approved valiantness in his far-famed adventures
both by sea and land, not omitting any courtship to
win his love, or make him doubt his welcome.
After two days' stay in the city, the king made
preparation for his entertainment at court, whither
he went, suiting his followers as well as the shortr
ness of the time could suffer, and his credit with the

124 THE. TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Christian merchants could afford, which was good ;
for two Spaniards were so wrapt with admiration of
his worth, and by his speeches allured vrith so strange
hope, that they fell in emulation, whether should do
him more services, or help him to more money.
Reasonably attended, he rode to court, not lighting
from his horse where the king's sons usually do, but
rode through the Mushward, which is the King's
great hall, wherein most ofhis lords, gentlemen, and
chief sort of people do attend when they come to
court, which none but the King himself doth. Be
ing come into the King's presence, his letters of cre
dit were received vrith great show of kindness, and
himself entertained vrith all gracious respect, not
only at the King's hands, but. of the principallest
men in office or favour, about the court, and so for
that time was dismissed, the chiefest men attending
him back to the place where he took horse. Some
five days after. Sir Anthony Sherley coming to audi
ence, and thinking to have ridden in as he did be
fore, a chain was hung across the entrance of the
Mushward, which he perceiving only done to hin
der his passage, would not alight from his horse,
but returned back vety discontented. This being
certified to Boferes, presently three of his chiefest
Alkeyds were sent to qualify the matter. But Sir
Anthony took the disgrace not as his own, but his

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 125
whose person he represented ; telling the Alkeyds,
his master, the Emperor, was able and Would re
quite the injury ; neither did he fear, though now
within the power of Boferes, knowing the greatness
of him in whose service he was employed, so far
surpassing the King of Morocco, as, maugre the
proudest, he would be fetched firom thence, and be
fully revenged of the least injury done unto him.
The three Alkeyds laid the blame upon the King's
porter, offering Sir Anthony the porter's head if he
would have' it ; so spending an 'hour to pacify his
choler, and bring him back, the porter before his
face was sore beaten and imprisoned, neither over
after was he hindered of riding through the Mush
ward. During his abode in Morocco, which was five
months, Boferes and he had divers private confer
ences, as it was generally thought, which way to
keep him in the kingdom ' against his two brethren,
Sheck and Sidan; as also to give the great Turk a
blow, to drive him out of Argiers and Tunis. From
Morocco Sir Anthony departed, with great content
to himself, and good liking of Boferes, of whom he
bought two Portugal gentlemen fox a hundred and
fifty thousand ounces [of silver], which amounteth to
some ten thousand pound sterling. These two had
been captives in Morocco almost sixteen years ; the

126 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
one son to the Viceroy of the East Indies, the other
of a noble house in Portugal. The first had his
resgat thrice sent for to ransom him, out of the East
Indies, but twice it was taken by the English, and
once by the Flemings, during our late wars with
them : the other his brethen drove him off for his
resgat, either to save so much money, or not able to
pay so great a fine. To accompany him fi-om the
court to Saffi, was sent one of the King's gentle
men ushers, to whom, at his parting, he threw him
his hat which he wore, from his head, vrith a jewel
of great value, rewarding largely all the usher's fol
lowers. For his guard, the ways being then very
dangerous, was sent down with him four hundred
shot, under the command of Alkeyd Abdela Sinko,
a Portugal Renegado, which is a Christian turned
Moor. This man, whether by persuasion, or volun
tarily desiring to see his native countty, in the night
got aboard of the ship Sir Edwin Rich was in, not
Sir Anthony's ; the ship presenUy weighing anchor,
made sail for Spain, but the other remaining with
Sir Anthony in the harbour.
This dealing was taken in ill part, insomuch, that
five of his men, being sent to shore for certain pro
vision which they lacked, were clapped up in pri
son, and sent in chains to Morocco, but afterwards
released. Sir Anthony writing to the King, both to

OF THE THREE SHERLE-JfS. 127
clear himself of die fact, and desiring remedy for
these his new sustained grievances, set a good show
upon the matter, staid four days after the other ship
which had carried away the Alkeyd, and would
have tarried until he had his five jmen again, but
that he was written unto to be gone, by an especial
friend ashore ad-rising him he did not well to ride
so long in the port, divers Flemish men of war be
ing abroad ; and if any should chance to come in
there, as seldom it is vrithout, they, finding these two
gentlemen as prizes, would seize upon them ; and
then was there lost thirty-five thousand ounces of
silver, which a merchant's factor had lent Sir An
thony Sherley to clear him out of the country ; for
which the factor had the two Portugals bound to
pay this debt at their arrival at Lisbon. Upon this
advertisement he departed, and the next 4^y Boferes
sent him a letter to clear his men."
Sir Anthony's subsequent movements are not re
corded ; but it appears from Wadsworth's English
and Spanish Pilgrim,* that, amongst the Enghsh re
sident at the Court of Spain about the year 1625,
" the first and foremost is Sir Anthony Sherley, who
stiles himself Earl of the sacred Roman Empire, and
hath from his Catholic Majesty a pension of 2000

» Published 1C,30.

128 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
ducats per annum, all which, in respect of his pro
digality, is as much as nothing. This Sir Anthony
Sherley is a great plotter and projector in matters of
state, and undertakes, by sea-stratagems, to invade
and ruinate his native countty, a just treatise of
whose actions would take up a whole volume." To
what stratagems Wadsworth alludes, in the last sen
tence, we cannot even conjecture ; but so indefinite
a charge deserves no 'attention when proceeding
froiri a man who was himself a mere bigot, and
whose authority can therefore be of vety little value
in estimating the motives or conduct of a man of
such an heroic cast as Sir Anthony Sherley.
The honours received by Sir Anthony, and the
consequence attached to him abroad, excited the
displeasure or jealousy of James I. at home, who
ordered him to return to England — a mandate which
Sherley did not think fit to obey. According to
Grainger, he died in Spain in 1630.
Such is the histoty, so far as we have been able to
collect it, of this princely-minded gentleman. He
seems to have been formed in a mould peculiarly well
calculated for heroic adventure. Born at a period
when the spirit of chivalry yet lingered in the land,
he united daring courage with political knowledge
and statesman-like accomplishments : of a grave and
imposing exterior, and of a dignified and command-

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 129
ing deportment, he possessed a singular power of
attracting the affections of men.

SIR ROBERT SHERLEY.
The next shoot from the ancient stock of the Sher-
leys, whose fortunes we shall accompany, is Sir
Robert Sherley, a gentleman whose adventures are
only less extraordinary than those of his brother.
Sir Anthony. For this reason, and because he is
more intimately connected vrith the preceding rela
tion than his elder brother. Sir Thomas Sherley, we
have determined on placing him, though youngest in
birth, the second in historical order.
Mr. NichoUs,'* in a pedigree of the Sherleys of
Westneston, places the birth of Sir Robert Sherley
in the year 1564; but on what authority does
not appear. Indeed, there is reason to believe, that
this date is erroneous. By an inscription on an
engraved portrait of Sir Robert Sherley, it ap
pears that he entered Rome on the 28th September,
1609, in the twenty-eighth year of his age, which
would make his birth in the year 1581. In corrobo
ration of this evidence, we have the testimony of Sir
Anthony, who, in speaking of his voyage to Persia,
in 1599, observes, " I had my brother with me, a

• History of Leleestershire, V. iii. p. 723. K

130 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
young gentleman, whose affection to me had only led
him to that disaster, and the working of his own vir
tue, desiring, in the beginning of his best years,
to enable himself to those things which his good
mind raised his thoughts unto."*
Sir Anthony would certainly not have used lan
guage like this, if his brother had been born in
1564, consequently, thirty-five years of age, and
only one year younger than himself. Indeed, Sir
Robert is, throughout Sir Anthony's travels, treated as
a youth, and to whom his elder brother, on his quit
ting Persia, thinks it necessary to give special in
structions, as to his studies and behaviour ; and Sir
Robert, also, in speaking of himself at this period,
states, that his years were but few. On the other
hand, Herbert,-^ who was vrith him when be died
in 1627, remarks, that he was old and unable for
further service, and that, at the time of his death, he
had not exceeded his great climacteric. It is diffi
cult to reconcile Herbert's observation with our con
jecture, unless we suppose that die climate of the
East had produced a premature old age. If the in
scription on the print, however, is entitled to any
authority, the question is decided; but, even sup
posing it to be erroneous, w* think there are sufficient

* Sir Anthony Sherley's Travels, p. 20.
t Herbert's Travels.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 131
grounds for assigning a later date than 1564, for his
birth. _^
There is another mistake in the biography of this
gentleman. It is asserted in Stow's Chronicles con
tinued by Howes, (anno 1612,) and is repeated by
Baker, and other subsequent writers, " that Sir Ro
bert Sherley, about sixteen years ago, (that is, about
1596,) betook himself to travel, and served divers
Christian princes, for the space of five years ; but
chiefly under Rodolphus, the Roman Emperor, who
employed him in embassy, wherein he so discreetly
and honourably demeaned himself, that he was made
Earl of the Empire. After that, he went into Persia,
and served the Persian ten years.'' The greater
part of this statement must be founded in mistake ;
for, supposing that Sir Robert commenced his tra
vels in 1596, the time fixed by this account, he could
not have served " divers Christian princes for five
years," and afterwards gone into Persia ; for it is
beyond question, that he went into Persia with his
brother, in 1599 ; and it is equally clear that he was
not made an Earl of the Empire before he went into
Persia, the patent for that honour bearing date in
1609. The mistake has, we presume, arisen fi-om
confounding Sir Anthony aud Sir Robert together ;
the former baring commenced his public career
about the time above assigned for Sir Robert " be
taking himself to travel," and ha-ring been actually

132 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
employed as ambassador, by the Emperor, m
1604. There can be little doubt therefore, we appre
hend, that the voyage to Persia was the first enter
prize in which Sir Robert Sherley engaged.
The reader will recollect that Sir Anthony left his
brother as a hostage for himself with Shah Abbas,
who, as is stated before, requested he might remain
behind. On this request being made, Sir Anthony
thought it necessaty to say something in favour of
his brother, an account of which he gives in his
Travels, in his usual pompous style.
" Before I could answer this infinite, favourable,
and gracious speech of his, my brother (whose mind
ever disposed him to the best things) having, by
his owri nature and excellent spirit, which in his
younger years he bettered vrith higher studies, not
as many, who, under a magnificent title, love sloth
ful idleness, but using them in their true pro
perty, to confirm our ordinary weakness against the
tempests of fortune, and to learn, by the goodly pre
cepts of wise men, that which the frailty of man's con
stitution blindeth fi-om our sight ; and to esteem only
good that which is honest, and eril those things which
do participate with viciousness. And, though he
might arrogate as much to the nobihty ofhis blood as
the best-born gentleman may, yet, (ever making, esti
mation of that, and other such qualified ornaments

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 133
as were without the mind, neither to be accounted
amongst the special good or ill things which a man
should truly behold in himself,) he hath and doth
contend more vrith himself to be worthy of the best
tides, than to be esteemed by those he hath, contemn
ing, equally, riches, and superfluity, and poverty,
which groweth by a man's own rice; being stedfast
and just in good things, and constant against all fear :
arid if he be guided by the height of his mind, to
strive vrith more fervour than wariness, for gloi-y and
reputation, the best judging sort of the world know
that the covetousness of that point of eternity is the
last appetite, which the wisest men despoil them
selves of. Neither am I induced to celebrate so
much the memory of so many virtues as I know in
him, because he is my brother; but absolutely am
led unto it without favour or ambition, by the per
suasion only of a good conscience, for the sole merit
and reward of the same. That mind, I say, of his
ever counselled by such thoughts, apprehending that
his staying vrith the King might be of wonderiiil
effect, to keep his mind constant in the resolution
which he had taken; and guessing at many occasions
which might happen in my absence, the well using
of which might confirm him more : some, also, if they
were not tempered, might cool his resolutions, (which
he knew to be taken rather to satisfy me, and with
an intent to see the success of the proceeding of

134 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
things, than a more constant determination,) an
swered the King presently thus : — that our two souls
were so unitely conjoined, that our wills were dirided
in nothing ; our affections to his majesty and our
desires to serve him were the same, and such as they
could not be separated from his commandments.
And though thepromise of favours from him which
could command, did bring ever with it the force
of necessity, yet we both were so clear in the
judginent of the royal disposition of his majesty,
that he would neither absolutely will, nor seem to
desire of us any thing but that which should be ho
norable for his authority, and convenient for our obe
dience to be done by us. The parting of both our
bodies from his presence was nothing, in respect of
our best parts, which ever should attend his majesty
with vows and proffers and wishes, which were wor
thy to proceed from his true servants and friends,
and as worthy of his infinite virtues; but, because
he did desire to have one of us, which was himself,
to remain vrith him, he would do it, and give his
majesty so much greater occasion to love us, both by
that effect of rirtue which he should prove in him,
tempering the necessity of his passion for his ma
jesty's satisfaction and better purposes, which time
and such occasions, as must needs be brought forth,
should shew his majesty. Neither did he incline at
all to do this for any feeling which he would have in

QF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 135
that point of his majesty's munificences promised,
but only for the sensibleness of doing well, which he
thought and knew he should do by obeying his ma
jesty in that commanding request. He did confess,
notwithstanding, that the world could not lay upon
him a greater adversity, than to be separated from
me : yet he would never be so broken with any for
tune, though it should rise from other causes, as to
lose the least tittle of the dignity of his mind. His
years were but few, but neither gray hairs nor
vfrinkles should, vrith so vrise an understanding
judgment as his majesty's, give more authority to
any, than the good fruits proceeding from an honest
and virtuous spending of the time which a man hath
passed. He did desire nomore favour with his ma
jesty, for his staying, than his other merits should be
worthy of : yet, because he was left alone without
other comfort than what his own heart gave him, he
would be confident that his majesty would not for
get what he owed to himself as a prince, npr to him
as a gentleman, which had freely matched obedience
vrith affection."
Five of Sir Anthony's suite remained with his bro
ther at the Persian court, where they enjoyed a high
degree of favour. But, two years having elapsed, and
no tidings being received of this important embassy.
Shah Abbas began to regard Sir Robert -with less fa
vour than he had formerly done. The alienation of

136 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
the Persian king was, hov^ever, but temporaty. Sir
Robert having contrived not only tOTe-establish him
self in the good opinion of his majesty, but to obtain
fireedom of conscience for all Christians in the Per
sian-dominions. The first public employment with
which Shah Abbas honoured Sir Robert, of which
we have any account, was in his wars vrith the
Turks ; a few particulars relating to this sendee are
preserved, in a MS. fragment which we shall, here
transcribe. Of Master Robert Sherley's Employment in ihe Wars
of the Persians against the Turks, after Sir An
thony's departure — Of h'ts Victories, a-nd his Mar
riage with the King of Persia's Cousin German.
Master Robert Sherley, after his brother's depar
ture, was Master General, and possessed the chiefest
place in the King of Persia's wars against the Turks,
wherein, he so valiantly bestirred himself, that the
Persians gave him a crown of laurel for the victoty :
for being armed and made ready for fight, taking a
pole-axe in his hand, he himself gave first such an
honorable attempt, and so amazed and repulsed the
enemies, that his soldiers, imitating his courage, put
all the foes to the edge of the sword ; only reserring
alive some thirty of the chief commanders among
them, whom he led in triumph to the King, having
taken them prisoners, and forthwith dispatched a

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 137
messenger to the Turk, with the letters to this effect :
that for the redemption and liberty of one that he
kept prisoner, (.meaning Sir Thomas his brother,
who was then undischarged,) he should command
the lives of these thirty, and have them safely, vrithout
danger or ransom, delivered unto hira. But envy,
that hangs upon the sword-point of the Turk, did so
stir up the mind to revenge, that he was so far from
entertaining this proffer, as he did not only make. re
fusal thereof, and bid him do his worst with his pri
soners, but he also returned words of defiance, and
menaced that the sun should not twice step from the
bed of Aurora, but he would waken him with such
an alarum, as should strike his whole company into
wonder and amazement.
This might have daunted the mind of Robert Sher
ley, knowing his men to be weak and weary, and
over-toiled in the last battle and victoty, to be so
suddenly again called unto arms ; and considering
the strength of his army, and that the Turk had al
ways three hundred thousand men in readiness ; but
that honour (the chiefest mark he aimed at in all his
actions) abandoned fear and timidity, for he no
sooner received the daring threats of the Turk, and
the denial of his gentle offer, but he presently cut. off
the heads of these thirty commanders, and, according
to the custom of Persia, caused them to be carried in
triumph about the market-place on the top of his

138 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
soldier's pikes, and swore, in great choler, that that
day should prove dismal to his enemy, for either he
was resolved to return conqueror, or leave his car
case in the field ; and, therefore, set his soldiers in
array, arid embattled them -with all speed ; who, com
ing within riew, might conjecture, by computation,
their enemies -to be ten to one, which much affrighted
the minds of his men ; but he perceiring it, began
to give them encouragement on this manner :
Master Robert Sherley, his Oration to his Soldiers.
" I need not, worthy gentlemen and soldiers of
Persia, seek to encourage you with a long discourse,
lest, putting oil in the flame, I should add spurs to a
free horse. Your former valiant resolution mani
fested as well in this last, as in many other battles,
assures me that were the enemies' multitude greater,
yet, our quarrel good and honorable, and our
ininds armed with true valour, in despite of fortune,
we shall, as hitherto we have done, return in tri
umph and rictory; and for that it toucheth mine
honour, I will be the first man in batUe, and the
last man in the field, unless death give an honor
able quittance to my life. Let me be this day a mir
ror of your magnanimity, let my actions be your
precedents ; press but as far as your general, and,
courage! gentlemen, the victory is ours.'' With
tliat, catching a strong staff, pulling dovra his beaver.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 139
and putting spurs to his horse, he furiously rushed
upon the enemy; his soldiers following with such a
desperate resolution, that the Turks were amazed at
his valour; for he ran without stop through the
troops, and, like a lion, massacred whom he met ;
which the enemy perceiving, and what a great
slaughter he had made amongst them, many of them
fled, many laid down their weapons and yielded ;
the rest he put all to the sword without partiality or
favour. Out of this, his second overthrow of the
Turks, he again reserves alive some threescore of the
chiefest of them, and sends the like proffer to the
Turk for redemption. [Here the MS. breaks off.]
In one of his engagements with the Turks, Sir
Robert received three wounds. His services were
not unregarded ; the favour of Shah Abbas towards
him became more and more confirmed, and the to
kens of it more considerable. "This man's bread,"
says a charter granted in his fevour by the Persian mo
narch, " is baked for sixty years."* As a further proof
ofhis confidence, and notwithstanding the ill success
of the former embassy. Shah Abbas determined
to invest him with the character of Ambassador, and

* Purehas, who says hc had the account frdtn Sir RoI>ert him
self.

140 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
to despatch him to the several princes of Christen
dom, for the purpose, most probably, of uniting them
in a confederacy against the Turks. Of the progress
of Sir Robert in this embassy, we possess but vety
scanty information. He probably left Persia in the
latter part of 1608, or early in 1609. He first went
into Poland, where he was honorably entertained
by Sigismond the Third, as we learn from a small
pamphlet* published in 1609, which professes to
give an account ofhis entertainment there. This pam
phlet, however, consists of nothing but eulogy, con
veyed in speeches delivered by Mercury, England's
complaint to Persia for her Sherley, &c. ; it does
not inform us of a single fact except the one just
mentioned, and that his agent. Master Moore, was
arrived in England, " bringing happy tidings of this
famous English Persian, as also of his coming to
England, to the exceeding joy ofhis native country."
In June, in the same year, he was in Germany,
and received the title of Earl Palatine, having previ
ously had the honour of Earl of the Sacred Palace

* Sir Rot)ert Sherley sent Ambassador, in the name of the
King of Persia, to Sigismond the third King of Poland and Sue-
cia, and to other princes of Europe. His royal entertainment
into Cracovia, the chief city of Poland, with his pretended [used
for intended] coming into England. Also the honorable praises
of the same Sir Robert Sherley, given unto him in that kingdom,
are here likewise inserted. London, black letter, 4to. 1699, re
printed in Harl. MSS. v. iii.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 141
of Lateran, and Chamberlain, conferred upon him by
Pope Paul V. accompanied vrith the singular, and,
it appears, profitable power of legitimating all bas
tards, the brief for which Purchas informs us he had
seen. " But," continues he, " the imperial grant (to
me of more respect and validity) I have here deli
vered verbatim, translated out of the original Latin,
&c., the rather because I have seen the same title
given him by his majesty in his letters commendatoty
to other princes, and subscribed with his own royal
hand and name. Jacobus."* The patent, bearing
date the 2nd June, 1609, and granted by Rodolphus
II. Emperor of the Romans, &c. is addressed to
" Count Robert Sherley, Knight and Earl of the Sa
cred Palace of Lateran, the assigned Ambassador to
us of Abbas, King of Persia ;" it recites, that Sir
Anthony Sherley, and others, had been sent Ambas
sadors to the Emperor from Persia, and concludes
by creating Sir R.obert, Knight of the Roman Empire,
and honoring him with the title of Earl Palatine, with
powers equal to the prerogative of sovereigns ; those
powers being to appoint public notaries or regis
ters ; to legitimate all bastards (the children of great
Princes, Earls, and Barons only excepted), and to
restore the infamous, by fact or law, to their former
credit.

142 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
From the print before mentioned, it appears that
Sir Robert did not make his public entty into Rome
until the September following : he afterwards pro
ceeded into Spain. It was not until 1611, that he
arrived in England ; to which event, the want of in
formation as to his employment of the intermediate
time, obliges us to pass. Honest John Stow must
here take up the tale. After stating what is before
quoted, and that Shah Abbas had given in marriage
to Sir Robert, " Teresia, the daughter of Ismy Hawn,
Prince of the City of Hircassia Major," he proceeds
to give an account of what he was much more likely
to be better informed, than of the circumstances with
which he commences his relation. " The Persian,"
he continues, " employed him, unto sundry princes
in Europe, and sent him in especial embassy into Eng
land, unto King James ; he arrived here in summer,
1611, and the 2nd of October following, he had au
dience at Hampton Court, where he delivered his
letters, and shewed his commission. AU which
purported the Persian's great love and affection unto
his majesty, with hearty desire of amity vrith the
King of Great Britain, with frank offer of free
commerce unto all his Highness's subjects through
out all the Persian's dominions, &c. This Earl Sher
ley was entertained and respected as an honorable
ambassador: he brought hither with him Teresia
his wife, big with child, who was shortly after

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 143
delivered of a son, unto whom the Queen was god
mother, and Prince Henry * was godfather, who
called the child, Henry, after his own name. The
ambassador staid in England above a year after that,
and having received the King's- gracious letters to the
Persian, by which time, as his Majesty had appointed,
there was a well-furnished ship provided to transport
him, his wife and servants, into the parts of the East
Indies, and to land him as near the Persian domi
nions as they could : and, upon his departure from
the ship, that then, as the King had ordained, they
should deliver unto the ambassador £500, in money,
to bear his charge by land, and do him what farther
kindness they could. He embarked at Dover, this

* Six Robert vfrote the following letter to the prince, request
ing him to do him this honour.
" Most renowned Prince, — The great honours and fa
vours it hath pleased your highness to use towards me, hath
emboldened me to write these few lines, which shall be to beseech
your highness to christen a son which God hath given me. Your
highness in this shall make your servant happy, whose whole
longing is to do your highness some signalated service, worthy to
be esteemed in your princely breast. I have not the pen of Cicero^
yet want I not means to sound your highness's worthy praises
into the ears of foreign nations and mighty princes ; and I assure
myself, your high-bom spirit thirsts after fame, the period of
great princes' ambition. And further, I will ever be your high
ness's most humble, and most observant servant,
" Robert Sherley." '
" London, this 4th November, 1611 .
" To the liigli and mighty Prince of Wales,"

144 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
month of January 1612. He left his son Henry in
England. Captain Thomas Powel of Hertfordshire,
whom the King now honored with knighthood, ac
companied the ambassador both coming and going.
He was colonel of 700 horse under the Persian. He,
at this timej married an English woman, who went
over wit'n him. Captain Newport was selected
captain of the ship for transportation of this lord am
bassador and his retinue ; and, because his voyage is
extraordinary from others, I have here set it down very
briefly. • They went hence by the Canaries, and in
April they came to the cape of Bona Speranza, where
they refreshed themselves vrith water and victual.
From thence they sailed to the great island called St.
Laurence, formerly called Madagascar, where they
took in fresh water again. From thence they went to
an island called Mohelia, and there they refreshed
themselves with all manner of deHcate flesh and plea
sant fruits. This is one of the most pleasant and
fertile places in the world. And from thence they
sailed into Arabia Felix, unto a city called Dophar,
where, through extreme foul weather, they remained
there twenty-eight days ; and from thence they
sailed into the mouth of the gulph of Persia, where it
was meant the lord ambassador should have landed,
but finding the place very inconvenient, they sailed
thence to Godel, where a revolted duke from the Per
sian, vrith his forces being there, sought, treacherously.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 145
to surprise the ambassador, and to take the ship with
the merchants, their goods and all ; but, by God's
providence, the duke's treason was discovered by
a Persian hermit, by which means the English were
miraculously delivered from extreme danger. From
this place they set sail again, and went into the river
Synde, where Captain Newport very safely landed
the lord ambassador, and Sir Thomas Powel, with
their vrives, and all their company that embarked ¦
vrith them ftom England, where they were most joy
fully and honourably received of the governor and
of the inhabitants of the country, which country
is under the Great Mogul, upon the borders of
Persia."* In 1623, Sir Robert Sherley again arrived in Eng
land, as ambassador from Shah Abbas. Sir John
Finnett,f master of the ceremonies to James I.,gives
a curious and amusing description of his reception
at the English court, and of the occasion of his de
parture. * Walter Pay ton gives a more particular detail of this voyage to
Persia, but his relation possesses no particular interest Vol. i.,
p. 483.
t Finnetti Philoxenis. Some choice observations of Sir John
Finnett, knight, and master of the ceremonies to the two last kings,
touching the reception and precedence, the treatment and contests
of foreign ambassadors in England. Legati tigant Mundum —
Lond. 8vo. 1656.

146 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTDRES
"The 19th of Januaty, [1623-4,] having received
directions from my Lord Chamberlain to repair to
Newmarket for attendance of Sir Robert Sherley,
(arrived ambassador from the King of Persia) to his
audience, which, by his majbsty^s appointment, he
was to have there> with the advantage and commodi
ty of his near abode at Saxham (his first rest after his
landing and long travels, and whence his sister, the
' Lady Crofts, sent lo me to London, to prepare his ac
cess to his majesty.) As soon as he was come to
court I sent my man to him, with notice of my com
ing thither to serve him j and having received an
swer ofhis desires to be despatched for hisspeedy re
turn, I acquainted both the Duke of Buckingham and
master Seeretaty Conway with the cause of my com
ing, and the address I hadfrommy Lord Chamberlain
to him, too, for my further government. So, the 27th of
January, I was sent to Saxham with the King's coach
only, and five gentlemen (the King's servants); and
parting thence the next morning early, in obedience
of a command sent post to me thither from my Lord
Duke after midnight, that the King, baring assigned the
audience for the afternoon, would have me bring the
ambassador by ten in the forenoon, we came with
three coaches, besides the King's, to court, where, con
ducting him immediately up to the prince's privy
chamber, (which, in absence of his highness, was pur
posely hung for honour to the ambassador,) he was

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 147
fetched thence by the Earl of Anglesea, through the pri
vy chamber, and the vrithdravring chamber (where the
duke met him) into the King's bed-chamber. There,
having made his two first respects of approach with his
turban on (his whole habit being Persian), at the third,
he tpok it off and laid it at the King's feet, and made
his speech of entrance kneeling, 'till the King, willing
him to arise and cover, he did, and presented his
letters of credence (written in the Persian language),
and un-understood for want of an interpreter, no
where then to be found in England., After this,
having gracious words and countenances from his
majesty, he returned, accompanied as he came, to the
prince's lodgings, where master Secretary Conway,
repairing to him, entertained him an hour with dis
course concerning the propositions of his negociation
(whioh he had a little before delivered tb him, and
the duke, in writing), and so returned to Saxham.
Immediately upon this ambassador's arrival at court,
I acquainted the duke with his intention to layhis
turban at the King's feet (though he said he had kept
it always on in the presence of the Emperor and the
King of Spain), and thereby made way for his ma
jesty's allowance ofhis covering, which, it was other
wise doubted, would not have been permitted in re
gard of his natural subjection, though in his former
employment into England, when he wore his own

148 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
country habit, he had been, after some question
about it, allowed to cover in the King's presence.
"The 12th of Februaty, he came to London with
my attendance, in company of his sister Crofts and
others, met between Tottenham and Newington with
six coaches, whereof one with four horses was hired
by me, at the King's charges, by my lord Chamberlain's
permission, for that day only, his lordship saying, he
had yet no order for it from his majesty.
"The 14th of February, having received an as
signation for his audience of the prince, at Saint
James's (his highness's coach and two horses being
commanded to be ready there at twelve o'clock), I
found there the Earl of Arundel (son to the Lord Mar
quis Hamilton, and gentleman of the prince's bed
chamber) with six or seven more of his highness's
servants, that had received orders for his conduction
to his presence. We went thence to the atnbassa-
dor's.lodgings in Fleet Street, and there, meeting the
Lord North and some gentlemen of his kindred,
we brought him to the prince's presence-cham
ber at Saint James's, where, his highness standing
ready to receive him, the ambassador entered, per
forming all his reverences with his turban on,bovring
himself low at his second reverence, and touching
the ground with his right hand, and then his head.
When come near the prince, who stood uncovered,

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 149
he fell on his knee, but, instantly raised by his high
ness, he fell to the coraplimental part, and from that
to the earnest of his errand, which, offered to the
prince's consideration in writing, he retired as he
entered, and returned to his home with the conduc
tion mentioned.
" The 1 3th of April, [1 625,] I conducted the Persian
ambassador (Sir Robert Sherley) from his lodging at
Tower Hill to an audience of his majesty, at White
hall. Descending at the great gate of the court, I
brought him (as I had my directions from the Lord
Chamberlain) through the dark passage, from the
sermon court to the council chamber, on the late
Queen's side, whence, going to the King's privy
chamber, I there gave notice of the ambassador's ar
rival to a gentleman-usher of that chamber (all fiirther
passage being begun then to be debarred to all but
privy councillors and bed-chamber men), who, con
veying my intimation to my Lord Chamberlain, in the
privy galleries, I had a charge returned, that, con
ducting him, by the way of the late Queen's lodging^
to his majesty in his withdrawing chamber, no other
but myself should go along with hira ; this obeyed, he
passed with his majesty some few words of condoling
compliment, and returned by the way he entered.
" About the middle of Februaty, [1625-6,] the mer
chants of the East Indian company, having signified
to his majesty, that a ship (long held for lost, and then

ISO THE TKAVELS AND ADVENTURES
arrived at Portsmouth) had brought in her an am
bassador from the King of Persia, obtained his ma
jesty's coach (with the Earl of Warwick, the Master
of the Ceremonies, and other gentlemen, the King's
servants, in it,) for his reception at Kingston, and
transport to London. These merchants (with an af
fected honotir beyond that done to the other Persian
ambassador. Sir Robert Sherley) had procured the
King's coach to be drawn with eight horses (as, with
the more grace to the latter, to disgrace the former).
He came to London the 19th of Februaty, and was
lodged (the, merchants defraying him) in the house
of Alderman Holliday, then deceased. There, rest
ing himself two days, his audience was soUcited and
assigned for Shrove Tuesday foUovring, which sus
pected by Sir Robert Sherley and his friends to be a
plot of the merchants, by so hastening an audience,
to prevent his repair to court, and to prepossess the
King with the new ambassador's reports, he entreated
the Earl of Cleveland (husband to his niece) to ac
company bim at a visit he would bestow on the said
ambassador for his welcome, and for the declaring of
his own quality of ambassador from the same King,
from whom he had so long negociated here under
that title. To this purpose the Earl of Cleveland ad
dressing himself to the Lord Chamberlain for his fa
vour in procuring from the Lord Conway (Principal
Secretaiy) tlie letters of credence brought to King

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 151
James by Sir Robert Sherley, the Lord Chamberlain
excepted his meddling in it as being, he said, no
duty of his place. From him the Earl of Cleveland
went to the Duke of Buckingham, and, by his means,
obtained allowance from his majesty for the Lord
Conway to impart them for so much use and sight
as might serve the ambassador Sherley's turn for the
other's satisfaction ; so as my Lord Cleveland having
gotten them into his hands, he, the morning that the
new-come ambassador was, in the afternoon, to have
audience, departed vrith the King's coach, and seven
other (eight or nine gentlemen and myself accompa
nying him) to Sir Robert Sherley's lodging on Tow
er-hill, whence, being ready to set forth towards the
other ambassador's, I propounded the fitness of send
ing to him before (to avoid the incivility, as it might
be interpreted, of a surprise), with signification of
our instant coming to him to visit him. To this his
answer met us on the way, without other compliment
than that we might come. Entering the hall, where
he then was sitting in a chair, on his legs doubled un
der him, after the Persian posture, and affording no
motion of respect to any of us. Sir Robert Sherley
gave him a salutation, and sat down on a stool near
him, while my Lord of Cleveland, by an interpreter,
signified, in three words, the cause of the ambassa
dor Sherley's and his and our coming to him, but,
with little return of regard from him, 'tUl I, informing

152 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
the interpreter of the new ambassador what my lord's
quality was, he let fall his trussed-up legs from his
chair, and made a kind of respect to his lordship.
This done. Sir Robert Sherley, unfolding his letters,
and (as the Persian use is in reverence to their King)
first touching his eyes with them, next holding them
over his head, and after kissing them, he presented
them to the ambassador, that he, receiving them,
might perform the like observance : when he, sud
denly rising out ofhis chair, stept to Sir Robert Sher
ley, snatched his letters from him, tore them, and
gave him a blow on the face with his fist; and while
my Lord of Cleveland, stepping between, kept off the
offer of a further violence, the Persian's son, next at
hand, flew upon Sir Robert Sherley, and, vrith two or
three blows more, overthrew him; when master
Maxwell, of the bed-chamber, and my Lord of Cleve
land, nearest to him, pulling him back (while we,
of the company, laid hands on our swords, but not
drawing them, because not any one sword or dag
ger was drawn by tlie Persians), my Lord of Cleveland
remonstrated to the ambassador the danger and in-
solency of the fact, saying, " that if he, and the gen
tlemen there with him, had not borne more respect
to that King whom he represented, than he, the am
bassador, had done to the letters shewn him for jus
tification of the other's quality, neither he, nor those
about him, that had committed that insolency, should

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 153
have gone alive out of that place.' After these
words he made some show of acknowledgement,and
said, ' he was sorry he had offended his lordship and
us by this act which he had perfoimed, transported
with extreme rage against a person that had dared to
counterfeit the King, his master's, hand, which was
always,' he said, ' set on the top of his letters, when
these letters, he had shewed him, had it on the back
side; and to hear, as he had done, that so mean a
fellow, and an impostor, should presume to say, he
had married the King, his master's, niece.' To this
Sir Robert Sherley (who was in the mean time retired
behind the company, amazed and confounded vrith
his blow and treatment,) stept in and answered, ' that
he had never said he had married the King's niece,
but the Queen's kinswoman; and that for the manner
alleged of signing his letters, it was true, that the King
of Persia, in all employments of his own subjects to
foreign princes, or in writing to them, used to sign
above, in front of his letters; but that when he em
ployed a stranger to any foreign prince, his signature
was usually affixed on the back side ofhis letters, that,
before their opening, they might shew who sent
them.' To this the ambassador replied with scornfiil
looks only. We all, with little or no respects to him,
departed, and, conducting Sir Robert Sherley to his
lodging, accompanied the Earl of Cleveland instantly
to court, where, finding the Duke of Buckingham in

154 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
the presence chamber (the King being even tlien
come forth to dinner), his lordship acquainted his
majesty with our adventure ; and I received present
order to let Sir Levris Lewkner know ' that he should
instantly repair to the new-come Persian ambassador,
and tell him, that his audience for that afternoon was
thought fit to be suspended and remitted to another
day, that his majesty might be particularly informed
of the causes of the disagreement and disorder
happened.' The greatest blot and fault of this
ado was cast upon Sir Robert Sherley, for his de
fault in his resolution not to return vrith blows, or
words at least, the affront done hira ; which, had he
done, he would have confirmed the truth of his repre
sentative quality, and not given subject (from such
weakness and want of spirit discovered by him) to
the merchants to dispute, as they confidently did, and
to his own friends to defend the soundness ofhis com
mission ; yet, at length, he, writing to his majesty,
and beseeching him to send him into Persia, with his
two letters tied about his neck, for trial, whether they
were true or false, the world began to have a conceit
of his unjust sufferance, and the King to charge it
home tp the, merchants, with his command and espe
cial pleasure, signified to them, that he should be sent
along in their fleet, then ready to part for the East In
dies, and be, by them, landed in Persia, there to make
his purgation ; which they, though unwiUingly, as-

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 155
sented to, and pressing for the other ambassador's
audience, he had it, after eight or ten days' delay, as
signed and given him the 6th of March, fetched to
it by the Earl of Warwick, &c. Entering the ban-
quetting house, where his majesty stood under the
state to receive him, without one look or gesture of
respect, 'till, coming close to the King's person, he
clapt his letters to his eyes, one after the other, kissed
them, and pressed them to the hands of his majesty ;
but not so much as bowing his body at their delive-
ty, only having finished his little ceremony, he, in
his retreat, after some twenty paces made with his
back to the King, turned about, and, waving his li^nd
on each side imperiously, as commanding a prospect
hindered by the multitude that pressed in between
his sight and the King's, he made a kind of a stoop
ing reverence, so — a second, and a third, and de
parted. When, understanding that the Queen was
gone abroad (whom he meant to visit), he employed
the time awhile in a walk with all his coaches about
Saint James's park, and, returning, saw her majesty.
The next day, I brought the other ambassador (Sir
Robert Sherley) to a private audience of his majesty,
in his withdrawing chamber. After many contes
tations between the merchants and the ambassador
Sherley, whether he were to be defrayed by them as
the King required, or by the King; since his majesty

156 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
had intimated his resolution, that he should be trans
ported into Persia in the fleet that was to pass for
the East Indies in the beginning of May, and in
them also the other ambassador. That time being
come of their departure, they both arrived too
late, at the place of their embarking, the Downs, for
performance of that voyage in that season, the fleet,
that could no longer stay for them, being already
gone, though Sir Robert Sherley had gotten the start
of the other, and embarked in a pinnace of the fleet,
together with Sir Dormer Cotton employed by bis
majesty, at the same time, ambassador to the King of
Persia, both for truth, whether Sherley were, or not,
an impostor, and also to fix a trade there, which the
other ambassador came to negociate ; so as they were
all forced to return to London, and there attend the
opportunity of departure in Msirch, ten months after;
when, beginning their voyage (the two differing am
bassadors in several ships) they all three died on the
way, and vrith them the quarrel, and inquiry, after
it." Finnett is wrong in stating that they all three died
on the passage, an error in which he has been fol
lowed by Fuller.
The history of Sir Robert Sherley, from tiiis period
to the time ofhis death, is to be found in the Travels
of Thomas Herbert, who accompanied the parties

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 157
on their voyage to Persia. From Herbert, therefore,
we extract an account of the closing scene of Sir
Robert Sherley's life.
"The 29th November, 1626, we came to an an
chor in India. Nogdibeg, the King of Persia's am
bassador, gave up the ghost, having poisoned himself
wilfully, in four days, feeding only upon opium.
"The truth is, he dared not to see his master, nor
plead his defence against his adversaty. Sir Robert
Sherley, in our company, and thitherward — to purge
his honour.
"The 10th of January, Sir Robert Sherley entered
Gombroon, after our arrival there out of the Gulph
of Persia ; which known, the Sultan of the town
came to risit him. Sir Robert Sherley being ambas
sador from the Persian, and speaking the Turkish
tongue, demanded of bim pomp and entertainment
for Sir Dormer Cotton, ambassador from our so
vereign, as also horses, mules, and camels for his
journey to the court, which he grudged at, the King
then being at the Caspian Sea. But upon sight of
his phirman (or letter of command) he agreed will
ingly, and accordingly provided for him.
" At his landing, the captains of the English ships,
(riding there) gave him a hundred culverin shot, for
a farewell from them. At his going up to the tovm,
the Sultan, the Shah-bender, (or King of the port) and
many Couzel-bashaes (or horsemen of the best rank),

,158 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
met him, and very cirilly conveyed him to the town.
The castle of Gombroon gave him ten great shot.
" All the way from the water-side to the Sultan's
house, we rode tvrixt two ranks of Persian archers
and musquetiers, where our ambassador, the gentle
men his followers, and sea-captains, were welcomed
to a very neat and curious banquet, and music from
the ships. Thence we rode to the English agent's
house, where we received a second entertainment ;
aud, after fourteen days' repose, we began our
land travel into Persia, furnished with twenty-nine
camels and twenty horses by the Sultan, who, after a
piscash, or present, given him, (five miles accompa
nying us) returned.
" At our entrance into his (fhe Duke's) metropolis,
(Shiraz) he was two days' journey thence, at his
house of pleasure. Sir Robert Sherley rode to him,
to acquaint him of our ambassador's being there: he
knew it well enough, and thought we should attend
his leisure : so, after we had reposed six days in the
city, our ambassador acquainted Shacke Aly-Beg
vrith his desire to part. ' What,' replied he, ' would
you go, ere you see the duke's face V He answered,
' his business swayed him to another end ; he came to
see his master.' So, the next day, the duke came to
Shiraz, followed with two thousand horses, and rested
two days, vrithout sending or taking notice of us. —
At length, he sent a gentleman to our ambassador

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 159
widi a compliment of welcome, and bade him to visit
him. Our ambassador sent him word, he had come
so great a journey as excused him : if the duke
would please to ride thither, he was his servant.
" The duke stormed exceedingly to see his great
ness slighted, and, after a pause, fearing to affront him,
(because the King of Persia bad before hand wrote to
hira and others through his kingdoms, as we travelled;
to respect us,) sent word, he would come next day
and see hira : but he did not; his son (a gentleman
of eighteen years old) came to excuse his father, and,
vrithout any stay, departed. Next day our ambassa
dor sent the duke's son word, by Shacke Aly-Beg,
he would trouble him; the duke was not well pleased
his son should have the risit, so that, at our ambassa
dor's alighting, we were conveyed into the duke's
gallety, which was veiy long, and richly furnished
with plate, rich carpets, dancing wenches, and Ga-
nymedes. " The duke was set at the vety end, cross-legged,
like a tailor; but his fierce aspect and bravery denied
that title. He stiiTed not one foot, 'till our ambas
sador was at him, and then, standing up, em
braced hira : we had vrine, women, and a ban
quet to accompany us ; and, after two hours' stay,
departed. " Next day (being the two and twentieth of March),
we were invited to a solemn and royal banquet.

160 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
" We were ushered into the banquetting-house, a
large open room and supported with twenty pillars,
richly gilded, the roof of embossed gold, the ground
spread with rich silk carpets: this looked into a
large fouf-squared court, round which were placed
the prime men of the city, and in another court five
hundred common people, all which the duke had in
vited to declare his greatness.
"The banquetting hall had a state, at the end, of
crimson satin, embroidered with pearls and gold,
under which he sat directly upon the carpets, cross-
legged ; on Ids right hand was placed the Prince of
Tartary, on the left our ambassador ; nex him sat
the duke's eldest son, or Beglerbeggee (whose head,
three years after, viz. in the year 1632, was struck
off, at command of the young King, upon small rea
son), and, to him, the captived King of Ormus (who
has five marks a day allowed for his maintenance) ;
near him sat the two desolate princes, his sons, in
whose company we were placed, such as were gen
tlemen. " On the other side, next to the Prince of Tartaty,
sat the Prince of Georgia, a gentleman of as brave a
look as ever looked, and no less brave in arms : his
faith is Christian. During their stay they were sad
and melancholy, whose being there, I could per
ceive, was more to content others than themselves.
" The rest of the hall was filled vrith Sultans, chief

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 161
merchants, and Coozel-bashaws, the banquet was
very costly and plentiful, of candied dried meats,
dates, preserved pears, pistachioes, almonds, duroy-
ens, quinces, apricots, myrobalans, jacks, and a
hundred other fruits and spices ; the Ganymedes,
young boys in wanton habits, poured out wine to
such as loved it.
At the end of the banquet, the people vrithout
gave a great shout, crying, Yough Ally Whoddaw
Bashat (which was, God be thanked !) Then the
Duke himself entered, with thirty slaves, in crimson
satin quilted coats and turbans, every turban wreath
ed about with chains of rubies, turquoises, emeralds,
and the like, of great lustre and value. The Duke
himself was attired in a coat embroidered vrith
silver; upon it he had a vest or gown of great
length, so thick powdered with Oriental glittering
stones that the ground of it could scarce be seen,
and it was invaluable ; his tulipant and sandals had
like lustre. His not entering till the banquet was fi
nished so grieved our ambassador, thatwhen he came
(all the company bowing their heads to the ground)
he sat still as discontented. For the truth is,
the Duke forbare, of purpose, that his people might
wonder at his greatness.
Sir Robert Sherley, bending very low, made bold '
to drink to hira in a bowl of pure gold, which the
Duke bid him accept of for his pains; die Duke,
M

162 THE TRaVeLS and ADVENTURES
perceiving our ambassador so sdent, smiled upon
him, drunk his health, and, after a few compliments,
departed. Our Ambassador's Entrance into Ispahan.
We entered Ispahan the tenth of April, and I
shall truly relate the order of our entertainment.
Three miles short of the great city, we were en
treated to repose an hour in a garden of the King's,
where we had a banquet. Thither came the agent,
and some English factors, to wait upon our Lord
Ambassador. Thence, riding in good equipage, the
Sultan of Ispahan, Meloym-beg, the Treasurer, Hod-
gee-Nazarr, the Prince of the Armenian Christians,
with all theJBeglerbegs and Coozel-bashaws of the
city, accompanied with 4000 horsemen, came to
welcome us. . The fields and streets, for two uules,
were filled, in our passage, with Bannyans and wo
men from the city, ten thousand at the fewest, who,
as we past, cried " welcome," and shouted strongly :
amongst the horse were above forty ketde-drums,
and tabrets, nor wanted the whores and boys their
places, all which, vrith antique dances, made the
ceremony more notable.
After our arrival in the city, we alighted at the
King's palace, which is in the great Mydan, or mar
ket place. Meloym-beg and Sir Robert Sherley
kneeled down three times, and kissed the threshold,

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 163
or ground, at die first entrance ; which done, a sol
dier made an oration ; so we past to our lodging,
which was one of the King's best houses, and near
the water. The Emperor or Pot-shaugh of Persia
was then at the Caspian Sea. The 14th of April, four
days after our stay in Ispahan, the agent for the
English merchants invited us to a banquet, where
he shewed a hearty entertainment; and to honour
his feast the more, he had, at night, a pond of water
set round with wax-lights, and spent many squibs
and fireworks, which, flying high, made all the city
wonder. Next day, we inrited ourselves to Hodgee-Nazarr,
the Armenian Prince, who has the sole rule ofa small
city, called Jelphea, whose inhabiters are all Chris
tians. This Jelphea is on the other side the water, and
seated, in the same sort, as Southwark is to London.
Hodgee-Nazarr was glad to see us, and gave us
royal welcome : amongst other meat, we had a pig
roasted, (a meat abhorred by Mahometans and Jews);
the wine bottles and flat cups we drunk in, were of
pure gold.
After our ambassador had reposed himself four
days in Asharaff, the King sent a Coozel-bashaw to
him, with commendations, and that next day he
would give him audience ; accordingly, next day,
which was our sabbath, and, with them, a day of ce
remony, being the first day of their great fast and

164 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
feast, (for, on that day, it is not permitted to eat
or drink ; but, after sun-set, they do both excessively ;
this feast is called Ramazan, Ramdam, or Ramadan,)
our ambassador, with Sir Robert Sherley, and seven
or eight English gentlemen, his followers, set for
wards to the court : and this I remember, our am
bassador took it ill, none came to usher him, or shew
the way. For, that morning, baring sent to Maho
met Ally-beg, the great favourite, to that end, the
infidel returned a footman, whom our ambassador
scorning, sent back, and so proceeded with his own
company. At our alighting at the court gate, an oflicer led
us into a little place, baring a pretty marble pond
or tank in the centre ; the rest spread with sdk car
pets, where our ambassador and the rest stayed two
hours, and then were feasted vrith a dish of pelo,
which is rice boiled with hens, mutton, butter, al
monds, and turmerick ; but how mean soever the
diet was, the furniture was excellent, pure beaten
gold, bofli dishes, covers, flaggons, cups, and the
rest. ¦ ,
Thence we were led by many Sultans, through a
large, delicate and odoriferous garden, to a house
of pleasure, whose chambers both riewed the tops of
Taurus and the Caspian Sea. Into this lodge we
entered ; the low-room was round and spacious,
the ground spread with silk carpets ; in the midst.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 165
a marble tank, full of chrystaline water (an element
of no small account in those torrid habitations);
and, round about the tank, vessels of pure gold,
some filled with wine, others with sweet smelling
flowers. Thence into a chamber, furnished in man
ner as the former, but with three times more ves
sels of gold, set there for pomp and observation.
At the end sat the Pot-shaugh or great King, cross-
legged, and mounted a little higher than the rest, his
seat haring two or three white silk shags upon the
carpets. His attire was very ordinary, his tulipant
could not out-value forty shillings; his coat— red
calico quilted with cotton, worth vety little ; his sword
hung in a leather belt, its handle or hilt was gold, and,
in regard the King was so plain attired, most of the
court had like apparel on for that day. Yet the
plate and jewels in that house argued against po
verty; a merchant, then there, imagined it worth
twenty millions of pounds.
So soon as our Lord ambassador came to him, he,
by his interpreter, delivered, briefly, the cause of his
journey, which was, to congratulate his victorious
success against the Turk, to renew the traffic of silk,
and other things to benefit the merchants, and to
see Sir Robert Sherley purge himself from those im
putations laid on him by Nogdibeg, the King of Per
sia's late ambassador.
The King gave him a very gracious reply ; and.

166 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
whereas, he thinks it honour enough to let the Great
Turk's ambassador kiss the hem of his coat, and
sometimes his foot, he very nobly gave our ambas-
dor his hand, and vrith it pulled him down, and
seated him next to him, cross-legged; and calling for
a cup of wine, drunk to his master, our famous King,
at which he put off his hat, and the King, seeing it,
put off his turban, and drunk the cup off, which our
ambassador pledged thankfJly. And the people
thought it a strange thing to see their King so com-
plimental, for it is a shame with them to be bare
headed. The chamber, wherein he was entertained, had the
sides painted and ^Ided very beautifully, though,
indeed, the verse may be inverted. Materia superabat
opus, and not materiam. Round about, with their
backs to the wall, were seated fifty or sixty Begler-
begs. Sultans, and Chawns, who sit like so many sta
tues, rather than liring men. The Ganymede boys
go up and down with flaggons of wine, and fill to
those that covet it.
After some stay in Casbin, our ambassador, de
sirous of his dispatch, risited Mahomet-Aly-Beg,
and by him entreated an answer to his letter. The
Pagan, in short, told him, if he had any more to pos
sess the King, he should first acquaint him, and,
consequently, have an answer; to which our am
bassador repHed little, though discontented much ;

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 167
perceiring by this, be should have no further access
unto the King, but, willing to be gone, and loth the
favourite should see him daunted, he trusted him
vrith his business ; some part, the continuation of
amity betwixt their masters, with some words of the
merchants' traffic, and an acknowledgment from the
King, that Sir Robert Sherley was his true ambassa
dor into Europe. To the two first, Mahomet-Aly-
Beg, undesired, bolted out, that he knew his mas
ter, the King of Persia, or Pot-shaugh, stood more
affected to no one Prince of the world, than to our
King : and that the trade and exchange betwixt
their merchants was both pleasing and profitable
to his King, and for Sir Robert Sherley (whose
enemy Mahomet ever was), he knew and had heard
the King himself say, he cared not for him, and that
his embassies and messages to the Princes of Chris
tendom were frivolous and forged ; 'tis true, quoth
he, the King gave him (as an argument of favour),
at the Caspian Sea, a horse and garment, but it
was more to satisfy the other ambassadors, than
out of any respect the King had unto him. And
when our lord ambassador told hira. Sir Ro
bert Sherley had the King's letter of credence,
or Finnan, to testify the truth of it, and that if he
were an impostor, he were the veriest fool living to
undertake a journey of that length and danger,
knowing, withall, the King's severity. To which the

168 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
Pagan answered not, but told hira, at their meeting,
he would give him ampler satisfaction, entreating him
for a sight of Sir Robert's testimonial letter of
credence, signed by his King, Shah Abbas, in
Ispahan. He bid him look upon it, and tell him if it had the
image of a counterfeit. The malicious favourite
thought it had, but, being uncertain, craved it to
shew the King, which accordingly he did (if we may
give credit to an enemy and infidel) unto the King
three days after ; who (as he told Sir Dormer Cotton)
viewed them, denied them for frue, and, in rage,
burnt them, wishing Sir Robert Sherley to depart
his kingdom, as old and troublesome. He was
amazed at it, but knew no remedy.
For my own part I am verily persuaded, the King's
seals and Firman* wete true, and that either Maho-

* The following is a translation of the Finnan : —
*' Atabas,
•* The mighty star, whose head is covered with the sun,
whose motion is comparable to the aerial firmament, whose
Majesty is come from Asharaff, and hath dispatched the Lord
Ambassadour of the English King : The conmiand of the great
King is. That his followers shall be conducted from our pal-
lace of Casbin, to Saway, and by the Darraguod (or Major) of
Saway, to the City of Coom, and by the Governour of Coom, unto
the City of Cashau, &c. through all my territories. Pail not my
command. 1 also command them a peaceable travel."
" Sealed with a Stamp of Letters in Ink."

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 169
met-Aly-Beg juggled with him (for we had but his
word, for all we knew, and never more came in pre
sence of the King) or he might forge other letters to
shew the King, else why kept he them two days with
out delivety? or he might have' slandered the King to
say he burnt them, being an act not worthy so just a
prince as Abbas was reputed for.
This argument raay prove his being true ambassa
dor, because the King, hearing he came in that de
fence, and to clear his honour from Nogdibeg's as
persions in England, as the King gave him no ap
parent satisfaction, yet, because he never questioned
an injury done him (that, had he been an impostor,
had been one), it follows, he was guarded with inno
cence and truth. And, but that Nogdibeg had done
Sir Robert Sherley injury, wherefore should Shah
Abbas say, 'twas well for him he poisoned himself
(guilty of revenge) ; for, had he come to the court
of Persia, he would have sliced his body into as
many parts as there be days in a year, and burnt
them with dogs' turds in the open market-place.
Again, his son, in our company, durst not come at
Court, to account for his unlucky father, till Zenall
Chawn, the Duke of Tyroan, his kinsman, interceded,
and bribed for his peace and entrance.
The truth is. Sir Robert Sherley had deserved well
from the Persian, but, being old and unable for fiir
ther service, got his recompence, to be slighted in his

170 THE TRAVELS jiND ADVENTURES
honour, even then when he hoped for most thanks,
and other acknowledgments. These and the like
discontents (casual to mortal men) so much afilicted
him, that, immediately, a fever and apoplexy over
charged him : so that, on the thirteenth of June, he
gave an ultimum vale to this world. And wanting a
fitter place of burial, was put into the earth at the
door ofhis own house in Casbin, where he died.
He was brother to two worthy gentlemen. Sir An
thony and Sir Thomas Sherley; his age exceeded
not the great climacterick; his condition was free,
noble, but inconstant. He was the greatest tra
veller in his time, and had tasted liberally of many
great Princes' favours : of the Pope he had power to
legitimate fhe Indians ; and, from the Emperor, re
ceived the honour and title of a Palatine of the Em
pire. His patience was better than his intellect ; he
was not much acquainted with the Muses, but what
he wanted in philosophy, he supplied in lan
guages. He had been servant to the Persian near
thirty years, and merited much better than you see
he then obtained, when he most expected it.
Though it may seem impertinent, I cannot pass
by in silence, without injury to her meraoty, whom
I so much honoured, the thrice worthy and undaunt
ed lady Teresia, his faithful vrife, to this sad time
constant to our company ; her faith was ever Chris
tian, her parents so,- and noble ; her countty Circassia,

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 171
which joins to Georgia, and to Zinria, near the Eux-
ine and Caspian Seas. At that time, when her
husband lay dead by her, and herself vety weak by a
long dysentety, a Dutch painter (who had served
the King of Persia twenty years) conspires with Ma
homet-Aly-Beg, and pretending an engagement he
was in to one Crole, a Flemming, (for some mo
nies Sir Robert Sherley had long since borrowed of
him) he is believed, and got a warrant from the Caw-
see or Justice to seize upon the lady's goods, which
vricked plot conld not be so private, but was known
by a faithfiil, honest gentleman, Master Hedges, a
follower of our ambassador, who straightway ac
quaints the lady with it, which, as she knew was
, false, so seemed it strange ; yet, recalling herself,
she tore a satin quilt with her feeble hands, and
trusted him with her treasure, a cabinet, some jew
els, rich stones and the like, with which he was
no sooner gone, than the Pagan Serjeants, with John,
the Flemming, entered her chamber, carried away
what was valuable or vendible, his horses, camels,
vests, turbans, a rich Persian dagger and some other
things ; but, after a narrow search, finding no jewels
(for they had seen him wear many, and 'twas
them he had worried in his ostrich appetite), mad,
angry, and ashamed, they departed unsatisfied.
The gentleman, when the storm was past, re-deli
vered her her jewels, of a double value now, cause

172 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
of that conquest, which, had she wanted, I do not
think her fortunes left her would have made up fifty
pounds, a small revenue for so deserving a lady,
and most useful in those uncharitable regions against
woman-kind, who, though much esteemed by the
Persians, yet seem rather, in those parts, created
for slavery and fancy, than to enjoy liberty or praises,
prizes not a litde sought for and desired by those
female weak. ones.
After some discontents, and fourteen days' sick
ness of a flux, got either by eating too much fruits,
or cold on Taurus, that religious gentleman, our am
bassador, Sir Dormer Cotton, died in Casbin the
three-and-twentieth of July, 1628. We obtained a
dormitory for his body among the Armenian Chris
tians residing there, who, with their priests, assisted
us. His horse was led before, with a mourning vel
vet saddle on his back, his coffin had a crimson sat
in quilt, lined with purple sdk ; over him was laid
his bible, sword, and hat : such of his followers, as
were able, waited on it ; and Doctor Gough (a reve
rend gentleman) put him into the ground, where,
though his memoty and virtue cannot die, yet I
would he had a monument — a more eminent memo
rial. After a month's stay in Casbin, where we left bu
ried our two ambassadors, the King sent each of us
two long coats, or vests, of cloth of gold, in sign of

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 173
favour. And, after much attendance upon Mahomet-
Aly-Beg, we got licence to depart, with letters from the
Pot-shaugh, for our safertravel. lie delivered us, vrith-
all, a letter to our gracious King, from the King of
Persia, sewed up in a piece of cloth of gold, fastened
with a silk string, and sealed with a stamp of letters,
after their fashion.*

SIR THOMAS SHERLEY,
The oldest of the three brothers, was, at an early
age, instructed in military discipline; and being ani
mated by the love of arras, succeeded in obtaining
the command of three hundred men in Holland.
Here he behaved so gallantly, that Lord Willoughby,
in 1589, conferred the honour of Knighthood upon
him. This sphere of action was, however, too
narrow for his ambition ; " he was ashamed," says
Fuller, " to see his two younger brothers worn like
flowers in the breasts and bosoms of foreign princes,
whilst he himself withered on the stalk he grew on.
This made him leave his aged father and a fair inhe
ritance in Sussex, and to undertake sea voyages into
foreign parts, to the great honour of his nation, but
small enriching of himself" Being determined to
do something by which he might gain renown, and

* Sir Thomas Herbert's travels.

174 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
baring revolved many schemes in his mind, he at length
resolved, in the spirit of the times, to make war against
the Infidels for the honour of the religion of peace,
and he accordingly undertook an expedition against
the Turks. Having equipped three well-built ships,
manned with 500 soldiers, he set sail, in 1602, on
this religious crusade. Being driven on the coast
of Italy, he proceeded to Florence, and was received
with great honour at that court. After remaining a
short time there, he again embarked, and bent his
course towards Turkey. He had not been long at
sea before he met with a large ship, with which he
immediately engaged ; and after protracted fight
succeeded in boarding her, but the crew ob
stinately maintained the conflict for eight hours
more, before they would surrender. Sir Thomas
having, in this engagement, lost one hundred- men,
and the spoil being by no raeans equal to so great a
loss, the soldiers became mutinous, and a party of
them deserted with one of his ships. He then sail
ed to Leghorn, where, after a stay of eight days, a
fresh tumult broke out amongst his crew. In order
to keep them quiet, he again put to sea, but arriving
off the coast of Sicily, Peacock, one ofhis Captains,
fled vrith another ship, learing him only his own
vessel.*

* Genealogica Historia Domus de Shirley. Harl. MSS. 4023.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 175
A more detailed account of the remaining inci
dents, attending this adventure, is contained in a
black letter fragment, in the British Museum, com
mencing with sig. C. It proceeds in the following
words."Of Sir Thomas his attempts in Turkey, and the trea
cherous revolt of the rest ofhis company.
It is the nature of fortune seldom to be singular,
either in her frowns or favours, but that one is com
monly heaped on the neck of another, as appeared
in the waning state of Sir Thomas's hopes. For, the
next morning after this revolt of Peacock, a like part
was played, even in his own ship ; for the most part
ofhis men begun a dangerous mutiny against him.
They plainly told him, that they would be no longer
under his command, and did absolutely refiise to
follow the courses and plots that he had laid, alleg
ing, vrith unkind words and uncomely speeches, that
their hopes and expectations were deceived of him;
that he was both uncircumspect in his attempts, and
unfortunate in his actions ; they utterly disliked his
intendment, refiising to hear any thing that might
sound of it, there being no possibility of good,
and a certain and continual assurance of danger :
lastly, they protested unto him that they would
still keep the sea, and be -no longer restrained of
their own pu^ioses; but lay hold upon all occasions

176 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
that should be offered to enrich themselves and sa
tisfy their longing hopes, per fas out nefas, by any
means whatsoever.
Sir Thomas being much perplexed vrith the
contemptuous and unruly behariour of his men
in his own ship, first used threats and menaces,
befitting his place and command; but, the mu
tiny being general, and that he that was their
general being forsaken and left alone, he did but
thereby add fuel to that fire that raged so sore in the
minds and tongues of his mutinous company, that
he was enforced, at last, to leave all the extent of his
authority of a commander, and, as a common and a
private person, with tongue, gesture and counte
nance unanswerable to his mind, in mild terms and
gentle words, to entreat them that they would not
thus despise and forsake him, whom fhey before had
called their captain and their general, and had vowed
to follow in all his fortunes. Let not, (quoth he,)
the conceit of our hard success discourage your
hopes, so far, as to make a desperate account both
of yourselves and me; neither suffer the remem
brance of those runagates that have so treacherously
forsaken me, to draw you on to do the like by their
example. I have made choice of you, into whose
hands I have committed my life, and whatsoever is
dear unto me. Two ships I have already lost, not
by th^ unsteadfast fortunes of the sea, but by the

DF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 177
unfaithftil dealing of my followers. I have only this
one left me, and you in it, in whom I have hitherto
put an especial trust, wherein, if you likewise de
ceive me, let me not live any longer, lest, one day,
1 record the place where you, so unkindly and un
manly, forsook .and betrayed your captain. We
have yet a liring hope of our success, which, if
you kill not by your mutinous dissensions, may yet,
ere long, enrich your expectations : for mine own pail
I shall omit nothing that may do you good, nor do
any thing unfit or unworthy either your account of
me, or mine own reputation.
His men, nothing satisfied vrith these . words, but
bearing still a mutinous and rebellious mind against
their captain. Sir Thomas, doubting what to do, calls
before him the lieutenant, the master's mate, the mas
ter gunner, and other principal ofEcers in the ship,
and demanded of them whether they joined, in mind
and malice, with the company against him. They
answered him that they had no such meaning, but
protested unto him they were vvjlling to follow and
obey him as it should please him to dispose of them,
and to partake vrith him in all his fortunes. Where
upon Sir Thomas, taking advantage of their proffers,
joined with them in the persuasion of the rest, and
so, for the time, the mutiny was appeased.
Sir Thomas, to keep his company still employed,
directed his course towards Millo, with a purpose *
N

178 THE TRAVELS AIsD ADVENTURES
to have taken an English pirate that was there ; but
foul weather and contrary winds drove him to Zea,
where he found a Venetian ship at anchor ; and here
again his men began to mutiny, and he had much
ado to keep them from spoiling that ship. The
greediness of that prey, and the ill affection they had
to make trial of their fortunes elsewhere, increased
their mutiny extremely ; wiiich, with much ado, was
once again pacified : and in this place, by contrary
winds, he was forced to stay eight days; and to divert
their humour by putting idleness from them, he at
tempted the surprise of an island belonging to the
Turk, which was not far off; the inhabitants being
both Turks and Greeks, which, in this sort, was ma
naged and put in execution.
The 15th of January, 1602, Sir Thomas landed
one hundred of his men, between three and four of
the clock in the morning, the moon being at full, and
shining very clear; he divided them into two squa
drons, whereof the vanguard was commanded by
his lieutenant, and he himself had the rear, and thus
they marched up towards the town, being three miles
distant from the sea. After they had passed through
a plain, which was about a mile in length, diey came
to a crooked rock, through the which there was a way
cut so narrow that not above two raen could march
afront. Having passed the rock without any interruption.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 179
they came to a hill which was very high and steep,
and haring recovered the top thereof, they saw the
town and were soon masters thereof, it being a
place indefensible and suddenly abandoned of the
inhabitants, who fled into the woods and rocks and
other places unpassable. Here he gave charge, up
on pain of death, that no soldier of his company
should touch the person or goods of any Christian ;
but that he needed not, for they had carried all their
goods with them, leaving nought behind them but
their naked and empty houses.
Being thus in possession of the town, where, find
ing nothing to satisfy their expectations, and in
doubt what to do, whether to go forward or to return,
he suddenly had intelligence, by his espials, that a
great rabble of the i^anders had gathered head toge
ther, with purposed resolution to set upon them, and
of greater force than they were able to withstand ;
which Sir Thomas, understanding and perceiving his
men to murmur and be afraid, commanded his lieu
tenant to lead them down the hill in a soldier-like
retreat, and to keep an easy pace towards the ship,
encouraging them not to fear the number of the Turks,
for that they were a people, in those parts, unprac
tised and unskilful in any militaty discipline, and
their best weapons were but staves and stones. He
further gave directions that, when they came into
the plain, they should make a stand, assuring them

180 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
there could be no danger for them there, and, for his
own part, he promised to do the like with the rear
ward. But his men being now changed from muti
neers to cowards, not observing any charge or direc
tion of their captain, without any order, posted
down the hill as fast as they could trot; which the
rear, perceiring, began to do the like ; whereupon
Sir Thomas, taking a gentleman by the hand, went
a-head the rear, and so stopped their passage, that,
¦ except fhey would have trod upon him, they could
not pass in that troubled and disordered manner. —
Here they were sore beaten with stones, and many
of his men hurt, and himself hurt in the leg : how
beit, they maintained skirmish awhile with them, and
killed some of them, and then marched quietly, for a
quarter of a mile ; the inhabitants still watching all
advantages to endamage them ; but, at last, they re
covered the plain which was within a mile of their
ship, where, when the rear perceived that the van
guard was fled so far before that they were ready
to go aboard, they followed as fast after, leaving
their captain in the midst of all his enemies,
where he could not make any of his men to stay,
and share fortunes with him, notwithstanding he
commanded, persuaded, and entreated all he could.
Sir Thomas being forsaken of his men and enri-
roned of his enemies, having neither mind to fly, nor
desire to live, with a settled resolution and out of

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 181
all hope of life, yet desirous to sell it at as dear a
rate as he could, prest upon his enemies, and having
ten Greeks assailing him at once (only accompanied
with two that could not escape), forced himself to
make way through them, bestovring his blows on all
sides, that the islanders, themselves, well perceived
how hard a matter it had been for them to have
overthrown or defeated his company, if the rest had
retained his courage and resolution. But he, being
overcharged with multitudes, was in the end sore
wounded and beaten down : where, being thus taken
and disarmed, they only can judge that have under
gone the like danger (if any such there be); what
thoughts possessed his mind when, in this change of
fortune, he found himself forsaken of his own men
and now in fhe hands of a trustless, bloody, and bar
barous people.
The misery of Sir Thomas Sherley's imprisonment in a
Turkish Island.
Though it be a heavy thing for a man to fall, from
a happy and prosperous state, into a wretched and
lamentable condition, yet is affliction the true and
perfect trial or touchstone of the soul and mind of
man : for she makes a deep search into our inward
parts, whether she can find a residence of those hea
venly and human virtues, that, in the time of cala
mity ought to be in evety Christian; whereof she

182 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
found such store in the iramutable raind of this
most worthy gentleman, that, notwithstanding this
forlorn and miserable change of his esta:te, he, never
theless, held on the settled course of that confidence
and constancy that he before had in the time of his
prosperity. But, to return to our histOty, Sir Thomas and
two of his men being thus taken, and in the hands of
ten of the inhabitants, nine of them were resolved to
kill him : howbeit, the tenth, by entreaty and persua
sion, saved his life : but they stripthim of all he had,
even to his boots and stockings, and binding his
hands with one of his garters, led him back bare
footed through the rock, so into the town. In all
whieh time there was not a Grecian man or woman
that they met by the way, but either did, or assailed
to strike him.
His ship staid three days after in the harbour, but
never made any attempt, either by force or entreaty,
for his delivery. All the while the ship staid there they
kept him in irons, but when the ship was gone they
took them off, and used him in better manner than
he expected from the hands of so barbarous a people.
There was he kept for the space of a whole month,
and, from thence, was sent, in a small open boat, to
Negropont, and there delivered to the Caia (Cadi),
for so is the principal officer of that island called :
at the first, he was used kindly and intreated well.

OP TUE THREE SHERLEYS. 183
but safely kept and watched every night with a guard
of eight men, four Turks and four Greeks.
After the end of five days he lent him a Janissary
to carry his letters to the English Consul of Petrass
which was five days' journey from thence ; howbeit,
he received no answer ofhis letters from the Consul ;
but, upon the Janissaty's return, he was presently
committed into a dark dungeon, and with a great
galley chain bound fast with a slave that was before
taken, which grieved him worst of all.
He continued in this loathsome priSon from the
20th of March, 1602, uutil the 25th of July, 1603 ;
during which time his best diet was but bread and
water, and his warmest lodging the cold ground :
having oftentimes, besides the misery of his impri
sonment, many threats and menaces sent him, some
times of death, sometimes of the gallies. Being thus
out of all hope of liberty and in daily expectation of
death, without any comfort but such as his patience
ministered unto him, where nothing was presented
to the eye or ear, but matter of horror and despair,
yet did he still retain in his mind that guidance and
command of his affections, as they were never much
moved or inwardly disturbed in the outward distrac
tion of his senses.
In this time he wrote divers letters to the English
Ambassador at Constantinople, intreating him that,
in regard of his country, he would deal with the ad-

184 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
miral Bashaw (whose prisoner he in right was) for
his enlargement ; protesting that, as he was a gentle
man (whose name and family he knew well), he
would, in as short time as he could possibly, requite
his kindness at fnll to his contentment.
But prisons are hke graves, where k man, though
alive, is nevertheless buried from the regard or res
pect of any ; for the ambassador did not answer any
of his letters, but told the Bashaw he might use him
according to his discretion. During this time of his
miserable imprisonment, some or other had informed
the Bashaw he was able to pay fifty thousand chi-
chenos for his ransom, whereupon the Bashaw sent
him guarded by four Cappages, (whom we here call
Pursuivants,) from Negropont to Constantinople.
There were his miseries ended in one place, to be be
gun and continued in another.
His misery in his imprisonment in Constantinople.
The sick man that shifteth his place yet alters not
his disease, finds litde comfort in the change of air
or climate, for that the nature of his sickness doth
kill or control that pleasure or deUght which com
monly keeps company with a healthftil body. Such
was the condition of Sir Thomas in his remove from
Negropont to Constantinople, for both his usage by
the way, and his entertainment there, gave him small
cause of comfort ; in that only he found the place

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 185
was changed, but not the nature of his imprison
ment. Between Negropont and Constantinople is five
hundred miles, and all that way he was carried upon
a mule, riding upon a pack-saddle with a galley
chain about his legs, and another about his waist,
and many times his legs bound under the horse's
belly. Sometimes he lay in houses, sometimes un
der trees ; and whensoever he lay in any town where
there were any stocks, there they lodged hira ; and
when they failed of such a place they, bound his legg
together with a little chain, besides the great chain
about his waist, and his hands fast locked with mana
cles of iron. His guard were the four Cappages
which were sent by the Bashaw : it would have mo
ved the patience of the best tempered mind to hear,
and be forced to endure the despiteful taunts and
opprobrious speeches, which, though not by their lan
guage, yet, by their stern countenances and beha
viours, he might well understand, in all his journey
between Negropont and Constantinople.
The twelfth day after their setting forth, about three
of the clock in the afternoon, they entered the cily.
Immediately upon his coming he wrote again to the
ambassador, giving him to understand the cause of
his imprisonment, together vrith the manner of his
usage and the nature ofhis present misery; hemuchi
importuned him that he would not leave him' in his

186 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
calamity, nor suffer him, being his countryman and
a gentleman, to spend his hope, his youth, his for
tune, nay, his life, in so vile and dishonourable a
prison, under the cruel tyranny of an unbeUeving peo
ple. But he flatly sent him word that Ive would neither
meddle nor make -with him. Sir Thomas being thus left
all desolate and disconsolate, still armed himself with
his wonted patience and settled confidence against
the horror of despair, not suffering his mind to be
chained and fettered (as his body) with servile
thoughts and fearful apprehensions, but, in the free
dom of his spirit, maintained her liberty ; and in the
midst of all his fears, made hope the predominant.
The next day after his coming to the city he was
brought before the Bashaw, who demanded what he
made in the Arches,* and why, in that hostile manner,
against the law of arms and conditions of the league
between both kingdoms, without leave or admittance,
he had landed a forcible power with purpose to
spoil and prey in that part of th^ Turk's dominion.
Sir Thomas answered, that being violently driven
into wants by the fortunes of the sea and his long
travels, he was compelled to land only to refresh
his men, and the rather in that country which he
knew to be friend unto his King. The Bashaw re
plied again that his entrance was against law and

* Islands in the Grecian Archipelago.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 187
right; and that he was justly his prisoner; and there
upon asked presently, and in peremptoty manner,
what ransom he would pay for his delivety? Sir
Thomas told him he knew no reason he should be
enforced to pay any ransom, being in a friend's
hands, whom neither in substance nor circumstance
he had offended ; and that if his cause were rightly
scanned by an impartial judge, together with the
long time and wild manner of his imprisonment, it
would be thought but equity that he himself should
both require, and receive, a sufficient recompence for
the wrongs and miseries he had sustained. Finally,
he told the Bashaw, that he held him in his own con
ceit and opinion to be too just and honourable to
demand a ransom of him that never deserved to be a
prisoner : but (to be brief,) the Bashaw told him that
he knew he was a malefactor, and that his acts were
violent and indirect, which he averred he could not
answer, or otherwise the ambassador would not have
abandoned him : withal, protested, with a high voice
and stern countenance, that he would have fifty
thousand chickenos for his ransom, or his head for
satisfaction. Sir Thomas, doubting the cruelty
of this barbarous Turk and being much wearied
and weakened vrith the misery of a long and wild
imprisonment, to buy some ease and quietness, was
content to promise the payment of twelve thousanij
chichenos, with condition that he might be well used

188 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
and wear no more irons. The proffer was neither
taken nor refused hira, but a promise was made that
he should be well intreated ; but it was slenderly
kept, for he was had presently into the porter's
lodge in the great Turk's court, and put into a filthy
common gaol, where, though the first fortnight he had
a good supper, he found no other bed to lie upon but
the cold stones : howbeit, this had been well if worse
had not succeeded : for the Bashaw, belike hearing
new intelligence both of his state and alliance, and
supposing that no better means could be used for
the recovety ofhis ransom than rough handUng, gave
strict charge that he should, from time to time, be
worse handled than hitherto he had been since the
first time of his imprisonment.
Whereupon, the next morning, atbresik of day, he
was removed to a worse place, and both his feet put
into the stocks, a great iron chain about his neck,
both his hands tied before hira, and his body stretch
ed out all along, with a great sharp stone laid under
the reins of his back, so that it was irapossible for
him to stir, being also vexed continually with lice,
which was not the least torment he endured ; so
that he often wished that the sentence of his death
had been pronounced, and did vrillingly frame his
thoughts and order his mind to entertain with pa
tience die destiny of such a doom : for this misery
touched him so near that he was content to relinquish

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 189
all hope and desire of life, and to meditate of no
thing but death.
He continued in this state from Saturday, the 23rd
of August, 1603, until the Tuesday foUovring, in
which time he was suffered to rise but four times in
twenty-four hours. That Tuesday, about nine of the
clock, he was brought again into the presence of the
Bashaw, as he sat in open court, where he renewed
his old demand of fifty thousand chichenos. All
Christian ambassadors have in the Bashaw's court
continually two interpreters, to have a care and re
gard of such causes and occurrents as may concern
their countty. This day the English ambassador had
none there: belike to avoid the importunities thatSir
Thomas, in this his tragic state, might have used.
But to return to the Bashaw's demand : Sir Thomas
answered that he found little constancy in his words ;
that if his life might make satisfaction, that was in his
power'; and more just and honourable it were of hira
to take it, than to prolong it still with torment : for
his own part, he would promise no more than he could
perform. To be brief, he told him he might have his
life, but never his demand. The Bashaw never re
plied, but presently commanded his head should be
stricken off. But though he was rash in the doom
he did deliberate in the deed, for Sir Thomas was
carried back into prison, where, though he found rar
ther an increase than any mitigation of his former

190 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
torments, yet was his life stiU preserved by the mira
culous power of Almighty God.
The continuation qf Sir Thomas Sherley's misery, inhis
imprisonment in Constantinople.
Sir Thomas being thus returned into prison, and
his old torments renevring, having small hopes of
life, and less expectation of release, every hour await
ing the execution of his doom, a certain Seif,
dwelling in the city, understanding his imprison
ment and his wild manner of handling, and that he
was a gentleman of account and estimation in his
countty, in pity and compassion of his state, found
means to come and speak vrith hira in prison :
where, after a few salutations, the Jew reasoned vrith
him in this manner. As you are a stranger both by
your birth and language to this nation, so you also
seem to be strange and ignorant of their natures and
conditions. I have heard of your long imprison
ment, and though I know not the cause, yet, I grieve
much at the manner of your handling. You shaU
do well in this, rather to follow my counsel, that have
a little experience of their customs, than vrilfully to
cast yourself away by ignorance. Be ruled by me
and make promise of this great sum of money to the
Bashaw, but take a long time for the payment. It
can be no way prejudicial to you if you weigh your
own state and his case aright : for if your King hold

OF TUE THREE SHERLEYS. 191
his amity with the Turk, and that the league be con
tinued, whereof there is yet no doubt, you may, before
the prefixed day taken for the payment, by the be
nefit of your King, be freed without ransom. If that
fail, and a far less sura be brought in the mean time,
and that he finds there is small hope of more, he
vrill rather accept that, though it be little, than ha
zard your life and so lose all. And I will also give
you a further comfort, which, though it proceeds but
from mine own opinion without particular intelli
gence of any such matter, (for in this blindfolded
state of Turkey, men may observe, howbeit, know
nothing but to obey) : this Bashaw, this great ad
versary of yours, that now hath your life in pursuit,
is like, 'ere long, to lose his own, for the nature and
quality ofhis place will not hold an officer long.
Sir Thomas haring a wolf by the ear, wherein there
was danger either to hold or let go, doubting whe
ther he were best follow the counsel of a Jew, or
trust the cruelty of a Turk, yet, haring well
weighed his words, wherein he could find no
thing that savoured of deceit, he thought it best to
follow his adrioe. And so, holding that determi
nation, he found means shortly to send unto the
Bashaw, to whom he promised forty thousand chi
chenos, conditionally to have reasonable day for the
payment ; and, in the mean time, to be used like a gen|
tleman, to be kept in a house by himself, and not to

192 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
be troubled with all manner of rascals ; to have al
lowed him two hundred aspers a day for his diet,
which is ten shillings sterling, and a servant to wait
upon him.
The Bashaw was glad to receive this proffer, and
promised him more than he demanded, that he should
have a good house and a fair garden, that he should
have two hundred aspers a day allowed him, and
two servants at his choice, either men or women, to
attend upon hira, and that for his money he should
have good meat and vrine, because, (quoth the Ba
shaw,) I will have you contented.
Though Sir Thomas was glad at this proffer, yet
was there an occasion ministered veiy soon after to
dislike it. For, the next day, the English Ambassa
dor wrote unto him that he was sorry for his error,
as for his imprisonment, and that he intangled him
self into an intricate labyrinth, out of which he could
not wind himself without payment of the money.
He therefore advised him to revoke his promise, and
by no means to accept the Bashaw's proffer, for if
he did he was either tied to his word, or his life to
the Turk's disposing ; and to comfort him withal, he
told him, that within ten days he would procure his
release, get him home to his own house, and become
his bad. Whereupon, Sir Thomas trusting the Am
bassador's promise, refiised the Bashaw's proffer and
so was carried back into his old prison, where, with
great misery and distress he lay long after.

OF THB THREE SHERLEYS. 193
About Michaelmas after, this Vizier Bashaw, his
great adversary, was hanged according to the Jew's
prophecy, which gave him cause to entertain a new
hope ofhis delivety: for presently, upon the death
of the Bashaw, he wrote again to the Ambassador, re
questing him that now he would remember him, or
never ; for now was the time, if it pleased him to ex
tend his credit in the court, to procure his release,
his adversary beiiig dead, and no law in the way to
hinder it : and this he did, with the greater instance,
importune, because, (quoth he,) I am not able to
hold out long, having endured so many grievous and
strange affiictions, and being so much weakened with
the tedious and miserable endurance of the same.
Howbeit, the Ambassador returned him this discom-
fortable answer, that he could do nothing till there
were a new Vizier Bashaw ordained in his place,
and then he would do what he could for hira.
It was ten days before there was a new one made.
As soon as he was installed, the Ambassador (as Sir
Thomas was informed) dealt with him for his liber
ty, but to no purpose, for the Bashaw answered bim,
that it lay not in his power to do him any good ; for
that he was a prisoner belonging to the great Turk,
and therefore could not be delivered without his
consent. Whereupon, the ambassador preferred a
petition to the great Turk on his behalf, who pre
sently gave commandment he should be enlarged

194 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
the day following, which was Thursday, and un
doubtedly had the Ambassador not slacked this mat
ter, but presently laid hold upon the Turk's com
mand, it had been an easy mattfer to have set him
at liberty that night. But whether it was the too
much confidence that he had in the Turk's variable
and uncertain humour, or that other business and
intendments of his own carried his thoughts other-
wfays, or that it was so ordained Sir Thomas his mi
series should not yet have end, I cannot tell, but the
matter of his release was lingered till the Sunday
following, at which time^ upon new advertisements,
the commandment of his liberty was reversed, and
he retained still in prison, laden with more cares
and less hope than ever he had .
The manner of Sir Thomas Sherley's delivery by the
King qf England's gracious Letters to the Turk.
The raerchant, after a long and dangerous voyage,
having recovered with safety the haven of his desire,
though utterly lost the fruit of all his labours, re
counts with pleasure the perils past ; learing a glad
memorial to be told in after-times by his posterity ;
for contraria contrariis magis elucescunt — contrary is
best known by his contrary ; we should never know
the excellency of rest but by labour, nor of plenty
but by want, nor of safety hut by danger, nor of li
berty but by restraint. And I doubt not, also, but

OF TUE THREE SHERLEYS. 195
Sir Thomas, together with the pleasure that he now
conceives in the remembrance ofhis fore-passed mi
series, doth not forget, in his daily prayers, the sa
crifice of praise and thanksgiving unto that dirine
power that preserved him so wojiderfuUy in all his
troubles, and delivered him so happily, even from
the vety gulph of death and danger. But, to return
to Turkey, for we have not yet brought him to Eng
land : within a fortnight after the countermand of
his delivery the great Turk died, leaving his son (a
boy of some fourteen years) to succeed him. Sir
Thomas, in this new world, retains a new hope of his
delivery, and not slacking to lay hold of any occasion,
writes again to the Ambassador, requesting him, with
much importunity, that it would please him to take the
opportunity of this time for his release ; for that he had
a hope the young King, whose mind was flexible,
might easily be wrought to deal graciously with him.
Howbeit, the Ambassador sent him word, that the
boy King could do him no good, he being, by reason
of his youth, under government protection, till either
the Adrairal come, who was then upon the confines
of Turkey, or the Protector, who was shortly to re
turn out of Egypt. At the arrival of either of them,
(whosoever was first,) he protested he would solicit
him in his behalf, and doubted not but he should
soon work the means of his delivety; in thelnean
time, he willed him to comfort himself, for he would

196 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
not pretermit any occasion proffered to do him good.
Sir Thomas lingered on this hope, and bore out the
brunt of many a cold and bitter hour, until the first
of December, at what time the Admiral was returned ;
who, being importuned by the Ambassador, answer
was made that he would not deal with the prisoner,
till the coming of the Protector. Not long after, the
Protector returned, whom the Ambassador, belike,
finding untractable, soon gave over his suit.
The first day the Protector sat in judgment was
Christmas day, before whom. Sir Thomas was sent
for to appear, and this day, also, the Ambassador
had no interpreter there. The Vizier Bashaw having
called him before him, asked him why he was com
mitted to prison ? Sir Thoraas answered boldly, that
his fortune, and the mistaking of his attempt and en
terprize in the Island, was first the cause of his res
traint, but the malice and ill opinion that Hassan
Bashaw conceived against hira, without cause, had
held him so long a poor and miserable prisoner.
Honourably desiring the Protector, that, sith there
was nothing questionable that might touch his life,
except the enforced power and extent of authority,
and that, if any fault were committed, his punishment
was greater than the crime, that it would please
him now, at last, to give him his liberty. But here
was no such grace seated in the Protector's heart,
for, without any reply, process, or order of the law.

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 197
he gave a present and peremptory command, tluil he,
with his two men, should be hanged. It booted him
not to ask why ; but, haring prepared his mind before
to such a horror, and living long in a continual
expectance thereof, he yielded himself vrillingly
thereunto, for he well knew that nought but
his death would satisfy the doom. Hereupon, were
Sir Thomas and his two men bound all together, and
led presently away, towards the place of execution.
What could he wish in such a case (besides bis divine
meditations,) but, that his mind and thoughts might
suddenly be transported into England to execute his
tongue's office, (that is), to commend his humble
duty to his father and his kind remembrance to his
friends and allies ; to let them understand the mise^
ries of his imprisonment, and the vileness of his
death occasioned by the treachery and cowardice of
his own men : from thence he might wish them sud
denly posted to Spain and Persia, that his honourable
brethren might understand the manner of his life aud
death, that, in their hostile employments against the
Turks, they might be sufficiently revenged ofhis death.
But God did suddenly possess the heart of one
of the Interpreters to the Venetian Ambassador with
a Christian duty and regard of his estate, who sud^
denly repaired (for otherwise that had been too late)
to the Protector, beseeching him that he would not,
in his ftiry, take away the Ufe of so gallant »gentle^

198 _ THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
man upon bare surmises; that if he held him worthily
a prisoner, (and that but supposed), being no greater,
it might please him rather to take his ransom than his
life. At the first, the Protector was vety obstinate,
but being importuned, and having a hope of the gain
of forty thousand chichenos (which were proffered)
made him a little to relent, and so he commanded
to stay his execution. Thus, Sir Thomas was
brought from the place of death, and presently car
ried to another place little better, it being a prison,
called the Seven Towers, where he was put into a mi
serable dark dungeon, and extreme cold ; there he
continued 'till one of the clock in the afternoon the
next day : at which time the Ambassador, having un
derstood of the misery of that place, sent one of his
men to the gaoler, to entreat him that he might be
removed to some better place;' whereupon, he was had
out of the dungeon, and put, together vrith his two
men, into a little shed, but two yards square, built
against a wall, having neither clothes, bed, fire, nor
any good meal. In this state, he continued fourteen
days in extreme cold weather of frost and snow ; du
ring whic'n time, one of his men perished and died,
even of very cold, and he himself was so benumbed
in all his limbs, as he feared he should never again
have the use of them. In this poor estate he conti
nued 'till the beginning of April, 1604, at which time
there were letters sent from the King's Majesty to

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 199
the great Turk, and money from his father, for be
fore that time he had received no news out of Eng
land : but, whether by negligence, or some ill acci
dent, the letters were lost. Notwithstanding, by
reason of his money, he was admitted to buy a cham
ber and to hire a servant to attend upon him, being
still a prisoner, and having a watchful guard about
him. Thus he continued till the Christmas following:
in which time, his father having understanding of
his great misery sustained, together with the loss of
his Majesty's former letters, and his son's present
case (as it stood) became again a humble suitor to
the King in his son's behalf, and, eftsoons, obtained
his Majesty's gracious letters to the great Turk, for
his delivery. Howbeit, those letters did not work his
release, for he was still oontinued in prison : but, by
means of them, he had no torture or torment inflicted
upon him as before, but continued a prisoner till the
middle of November, 1605, at which time, his Ma
jesty, of his princely grace and favor, directed new
letters to the Turk, of greater force than before, by
virtue of which (and God assisting) he was delivered
upon Friday, the 6th of December, in the year afore
said, which was i^ this manner : the Protector Ba
shaw, that day, came in person to the prison, and
causing him to be brought forth, delivered him, to
gether with his man, into the hands of the Lord Am-

200 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
bassador with these words, he is your prisoner tillthe
morning. Thus being delivered, but not absolutely
freed, the Lord Ambassador received him, promising
to send him the next morning to the Duana, which
is the name they give to their principal court, be
cause the Bashaw told him, the Emperor held him
to be his lawfiil prisoner, and that he had forfeited
his life unto him. Howbeit, to gratify the Majesty
of England, he was pleased to give him as a present
to his King, and therefore he should be delivered to
his Majesty's officers in open court.
The next day following being Saturday, he was
brought into the Duana : there was no great doubt or
question made of his delivery, only the Testados
(who is, as we term him, the Lord Treasurer), cast
forth a word about the King's letters, advising the
Bashaw to consider what he did in the delivery of
him, for that he seemed to be a great man.
The Cadihscar (that is, as it were, the Chief Judge
in deciding men's causes,) answered, he knew that
well enough, and it was so generally understood ; for
so great Kings (quoth he) as is the Majesty of Eng
land, use not to write for mean men, and that their
Emperor had freely given him to the King of Great
Britain, and therefore willed him to hold his peace :
but his man ran a dangerous fortune that day, for
divers great men of the court stood much against
him, affirming the Bashaw had no reason to deUver

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 20l
him, because he was neither mentioned in his Ma
jesty's letters, nor in the Emperor's grant. But the
Bashaw, having understood the promise of a great
sum of money, after a speech made and some so
lemnity used, delivered both : howbeit, the Mon
day following being the 1 6th of December, remem
bering himself, he began to find his error, and to be
afraid that he had run into danger, for releasing of
his man, and thereupon presently sent to the Lord
Ambassador, that he would send both Sir Thomas
and his man to him again. The Lord Ambassador
went to the Bashaw himself, proffering to send either
of them back, and, with much ado, persuaded the Ba
shaw; for though he found no danger in Sir Thomas,
yet, he feared much the Bashaw had a purpose to
slay his man : and Sir Thomas was very loth to
have his man returned again to his miserable ken
nel. The Turk is vety strict and precise in punish
ing faults in his Officers ; for, that vety evening, the
Bashaw was deprived of his place, for no other cause
but delivering of his man without commission.
Thus ended the tedious trouble and misery of Sir
Thomas Sherley in his imprisonment, which begin
ning in the Island where he was first taken the 15th
of January, in the year 1602, was afterwards conti
nued in Negropont, and, at last, ended at Constanti
nople upon a Friday, the 6th of December, 1605.
So that the whole time of his imprisonment was three

202 THE TRAVELS AND ADVENTURES
years, saving a few days. And here is to be noted
what a stamp and impression of duty andregaid the
countenance of a King's letter makes in the hearts of
his subjects, though in places far remote : for the
Ambassador that, before that time, did but faintly as
sist him in all his attempts and entreaties, and was
many times afraid to speak in his behalf, and often
refiised to trouble himself in this business, upon the
receipt of his Majesty's letters, stood so stouUy by
him that he flatly refused to send Sir Thomas or his
man back, notwithstanding tbe strict command of the
Vizier Bashaw, who, in his place, was a man of
principal authority in the country.
Sir Thomas staid in Constantinople (a free man)
from the time of his delivery, which was the 6th
of December, until the 15th of February foUowing,
1606, during which time, he took pleasure to
solace himself there, where, before, he had endured
so much borrow and misery, taking a view and sur
vey of the seat and situation of the city ; obserring .
their laws, customs, and ceremonies, beholding
their courts, synagogues, and temples ; vrith other
things, not unworthy a stranger's observation.*
* His observations on Turkey and other Countries, which he
visited in tbis expedition and on his return, are recorded in a'
manuscript in the Lambeth Library. An application was made
to the librarian for permission to transcribe this MS., which
was refused, on the ground that a bookseller must have an
object of profit in view in making such request

OF THE THREE SHERLEYS. 203
And, upon the 1 5th of February, he departed from
Constantinople in a Ragusian ship, called the Ma
ria de la Rosariai, and landed at Gallipoli the 19th
of the same month; from thence to Naples, and -so,
at last, to England, where, being joyfully received of
his father and his friends, he now lives by the bene
fit of bis Majesty's favour."
The remainder of this gentleman's history is un
known to us, except that we find, from a letter writ
ten by Rowland Whyte to the Earl of Shrewsbury,
dated 17th Sep. 1607, that " Young Sir Thomas
Sherley was committed to the Tower ; some say,
it was for overbusying himself with the traffic of
Constantinople, to have brought it into Venice and
to the Florentine territories ; but, be that as it vrill,
he is fast and forthcoming."*
Here, therefore, we must leave him and his two
more celebrated brethren, only adding, that their
travels are frequently alluded to by contemporary
writers ; and that they are the subject of a play, en
titled, " The Three English Brothers, — Sir Thomas,
Sir Anthony, and Mr. Robert Sherley, Lond. 1607,
written by a Trinity of Poets, John Day, William
Rowley, and George Wilkins." As a dramatic pro
duction, it is utterly worthless ; and as an historical
record cannot, of course, be relied on, although the
poets profess to have adhered to the truth ; but the
' -^. Lodge's Illustrations, vol. iii.

204 travelS,;&c.;
affidarit of a poet, as Fuller says, carrieth but a small
credit in the Court of History. Their uncommon
adventures are, however, closely allied to the poeti-
fcal and romantic, and have the air of fiction rather
than of real histoty. Their age, indeed, was one of
adventure and discovery, and was adorned by many
master spirits ; by Raleigh, and Sidney, and Essex ;
by a crowd of warriors and of poets, who met on the
confines which separated chivalry and modem man
ners, and who united the ancient spirit of enterprize
with intellectual accomplishments. The illustrious
fraternity, whose travels and adventures have been
the subject of the foregoing pages, are deemed not
unworthy of such Em age, and some pains have ac
cordingly been bestowed in collecting information
respecting them: that information is embodied in
the preceding narrative.

the end.

LONDON :
Printed by D. S. Maurice, Fenchurch Street.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

3 9002 03094 9755

(>*

&^

fe;