but on the fea they shall be liable to no farther fearch or inquifition.

LX. And contrary to the articles of the Imperial capitulations, the goods of the English nation ought to receive no moleftation, having once paid the cuftom, nor fhall the customers deny to give the tefchere, or certificate, that the custom is paid for; upon complaint hereof, we strictly command, that the aforesaid cuftomers do not defer, immediately upon demand, to give the teschere or certificate.

LXI. And, the custom being once paid of any fort of merchandize not fold in that port, which is to be transported to another scale, entire credit fhall be given to the tefchere, and a fecond custom shall not be fo much as farther pretended.

LXII. In Aleppo, Cairo, and other parts of the Imperial dominions, the English merchants and their fervants may freely and frankly trade, and for all their goods and merchandize pay only three per cent. according to the former cuftom, and the Imperial capitulations, whether the goods be brought by fea or by land. And though the customers and farmers, upon the arrival of the goods at the scale, to give moleftation and trouble to the English nation, pretend that the goods of the growth and manufacture of England ought only to pay three per cent. but goods brought from Venice and other places are obliged to pay more, and with this colour and pretence occafion fuits and troubles to the English; wherefore in this point let the Imperial capitulations be observed as in former times, and our officers ought in no wife to permit the contrary hereunto.

LXIII. An Englishman becoming indebted, or having made himself pledge for another, who is either failed, or run away; the debt ought to be demanded of the debtor; and if the creditor have no hoget, that fuch

fuch an one according to the law hath made himself pledge and fecurity, the debt fhall not be demanded of the other; which article is already declared in the capitulations.

LXIV. Whereas fometimes an Englishman living in a country, to free himself from a debt, draws a bill of exchange upon another Englishman who hath no effects of his in his hands; and the perfon to whom the money is payable, being a man of power and authority, brings his bill, and, contrary to the law, and the capitulations, demands and forces payment of the bill. In which cafe the merchant accepting the bill, fhall be obliged to fatisfy it; but not accepting of it, he fhall be liable to no farther trouble.

LXV. And the interpreters of the ambaffador of England being free, by the articles declared in the ancient capitulations, of all Angaria, or taxes; by virtue alfo of this prefent article, when any of the faid interpreters die, their goods or estate shall not be fubject to the custom, but fhall be divided amongst the creditors and heirs.

LXVI. And, the King of England being a true friend to this our happy Port, to his ambaffador who refides here, ten fervants, of what nation foever, fhall be allowed, free from harach or taxes, or molestation of any man.

LXVII. An Englishman turning Mahometan, and having goods or estate in his hands belonging to his English principals, thofe goods or eftate fhall be delivered into the hands of the ambassador or conful, that they may convey and make them good to the true

owners.

The late ambaffador of the King of England, who refided in our High Port, being dead, Sir John Finch, Knight, a prudent man, and one of the council of foreign trade, is appointed to fucceed him in the charge

of

of the embaffy: and, notice being given to our noble prefence, that the faid ambaffador was arrived with the Royal letters and the ufual prefents, they were acceptable to us. And the aforefaid ambaffador having made known to us, that in the capitulations already granted, there were several expreffions fo full of ambiguity, that they needed further explication; and to this end having requested of us, in the behalf of the King his mafter, that the capitulations might be renewed, and that fuch explications and additional articles as were neceffary might be added to them; the request of the faid ambaffador being made known to us, we have confented to it: and we do command, and be it commanded, that the additions defired be added to the former capitulations; of which one is,

I. THE nifani fheriff (that is) the Imperial command, upon which was put the hatterfheriff (that is) the hand of the Emperor Sultan Ibrahim Han (whofe foul reft in glory) in the year 1053, which command declares, that anciently the English ships that came to Scanderoon did pay for every cloth of London, for the custom of Scanderoon, forty para's; and for a piece of kerfey, fix para's; and for every bundle of coneyfkins, fix para's; and for tin and lead, for every quintal of Damafcus or Cantaro, fifty-feven para's and a half for custom: which goods afterwards arriving in Aleppo, did pay for the cuftom of Aleppo, for every cloth of London, eight para's; for a piece of kerfey, eight para's and one-fixth; for every bundle of coneyfkins, eight para's and one-fixth; for tin and lead, for every battman of Aleppo, one para for custom. And the faid nation buying goods and tranfporting them, for what they bought in Aleppo and exported, did pay for raw cloth of linen or chilis, for cordovans, for hora fani hindi, for every bale of each, two dollars and a half; and for every bale of cotton-yarn, a dollar and a quarter; and for a bale of gauls, a quarter of a dollar; and for every bale of filk, ten ofmani (of which fourteen makes a dollar); for rhubarb, and fuch like drugs,

three

three dollars for every hundred, according to the eftimate of the chief in that art. The faid goods carried to Scanderoon, and there loaden upon their ships, did pay for raw linen cloth, or chilis, for cordovans, each a dollar and a half the bale for the custom of Scanderoon; for hora fani hindi and cotton-yarn, three-quarters of a dollar the bale; for a bale of gauls, one quarter of a dollar; for rhubarb and like drugs, according to the esteem of druggifts, three-quarters of a dollar the bale: and nothing more is to be, or ought to be paid, according to the tenor of this fublime command: and if the tefterdar fhall give any command contrary to this, let it not be obeyed, but be esteemed invalid: but let every thing be obferved conformable to this Imperial command and Imperial capitulations.

II. The English merchants, for all goods exported or imported, paid three per cent. only, and never ought to pay an afper more, it being fo fpecified in the Imperial capitulations: but there having, in the fcales of Conftantinople and Galata, arofe contefts and differences with the customers concerning the Londra's, or cloth brought from London, and other forts of cloth of the English manufacture, they fhall pay according to the accustomed and ancient canon, and as they have always hitherto paid; that is to fay, of full afpers, or fhort money (of which afpers eighty make a piece-of-eight, and seventy a Lion dollar) afpers one hundred forty-and-four, for every piece of cloth of English fabric, whether fine or coarfe, and of whatfoever price; and the customer fhall not demand more, nor ought not to take more: but the cloth that comes from Holland and other countries, viz. Londrini, fays, and fcarlets, and other forts of cloth not English fabric, fhall pay for the future that which hitherto has been the accuftomed duty. And at the scale of Smyrna fhall be paid according to the ancient cuftom and use of full afpers, or fhort money (of which afpers eighty make a piece-of-eight, and feventy a

Lion dollar) afpers one hundred and twenty for every piece of English cloth, whether fine or coarfe, whether Londra or not, provided that it be of the fabric of England: and the customer shall not demand, nor ought not to take, one afper more; and let no innovation be made upon the cuftom of the faid cloths.

III. The capitulations being known, which commands, that the English having a controverfy, the import of which is above four thoufand afpers, that the caufe fhall be brought to the Porta, and tried no where elfe; if at any time the caddi or minifters of any place would detain any merchant, or hinder any Englishman that comes upon a fhip, from profecuting their voyage, by reafon of any money impofed upon them, or pretended from them, if the conful of the place will be fecurity to answer the pretenfions made before the Porta, fuch perfons fhall be free and at liberty to profecute their voyage; and they that pretend any thing of them, let them come to the divan for to be judged, and let the ambaffador defend them from those that come to demand; but if the conful will not be fecurity, then let the judge of the place give sentence,

IV. In Conftantinople, Scanderoon, Smyrna, and Cyprus, and all other ports and fcales of my empire, whatsoever English fhips fhall arrive, they fhall pay three hundred afpers for anchorage or port charges, and there shall not nor ought not to be taken or paid one afper more.

V. An Englishman coming with effects, and turning Muffulman, the ambaffador or conful knowing. that fuch effects do belong to other English merchants, let all the money and other effects be taken out of the hand of fuch a Muffulman, and configned to the ambaffador; to the end that he may tranfmit them to whom they do belong, that by this means no goods of other men may remain in the hands of fuch a Muffulman; and let not this be hindered by the means of any caddi, or other judges or ministers,

VI. Any