me with 2,500 ducats of filver, to be paid 1,000 in ready money, and the remaining 1,500 in the month of April of this year; whereof the licentiate Francis Moreno, which in reverfion of Don Anthony de Campo Redondo y Rio, knight of the order of Santiago, one of my council and chamber, and of the treasury, in your name, and by virtue of your power, did acknowledge a writing of obligation in form before John Cortez de la Cruz, my notary, I do hold it for good: and by thefe prefents of my own motion, and certain knowldge, and royal and abfolute power, which I in this behalf will make ufe of, and do use as an abfolute king and lord, not acknowledging any fuperior in matters temporal, do confirm and approve the privileges, exemptions, and faculties which do belong unto you as well by the articles of the faid peace, as by the confirmation thereof; and also the other favours and graces which my lord and father did grant unto you, and others whatfoever, which have been given by my crowns of Caftile and Portugal unto the faid fubjects, in and for all things as therein, and every thing and part thereof, is fpecified, contained, and declared, to the end they may be firm, ftable, and of value, and be obferved, kept, and accomplished unto you: for my deliberate intent and will is, that all thofe of the faid nation fhall enjoy thereof without any limitation, in fuch manner, that, during the time the faid Englishmen fhall refide in Andaluzia, neither you nor they may be charged with any office or public charge, nor council, tutorfhip, curatorfhip, receivers or treasurers, although they be of customers and millions, or other fervices which concern my royal treafury; and much lefs they may demand of you any loans or donations, or take from you any rights, or your rents, horses, or flaves and to do you the more favour or grace, according to that which is agreed by the faid peace, I do will and promife, that you fhall and may deal and trade freely, and fell your merchandize and fruits, and buy thofe of my realms, and carry them forth, observing

that

that which is ordained and commanded by the laws and ftatutes which make mention thereof, and paying to my royal treasury the duties or cuftoms which ought to be paid, prohibiting, as I do prohibit and command, not to take from you by force any merchandizes, wheat, or barley, although it be for the making ready or furnishing my armies, fleets, or gallions, nor for purveyors or stewards; and the privileges are to be concerning the wheat and barley according to the tun; and concerning the other things and merchandizes as you shall conclude and agree: but they may not take them out of your poffeffion until they have paid for them, unless for the fame there be leave given, that they do not moleft and trouble you. And forafmuch as many of you do treat to bring into the ports of Andaluzia, the city of Sivil, and other places, great, quantity of Newfoundland fish, and other forts of dry and falted fish, because they are victuals which are very neceffary; and that you have been and are put to great charges, and are much troubled, I do will and command to be kept the ordinance of the city of Sivil, whereby it is ordained, that thofe which come in with dry or falted fish, there fhall not be any price or rate fet upon them, but they fhall be permitted to fell at fuch a price as they fhall think good; and it fhall not be neceffary to manifeft them any more than unto my officers which receive my royal rents: and if the fhips wherein the faid fifh is brought be great fhips, that they cannot go up the river, and that the fame be put into barks or lighters, the judge of the admiralty, nor any other perfon, may not put any waiters or keepers into the barks or lighters at the charge of the owners of them.

And I do alfo command, that if the faid fifh fhall appear to be rotten, and that it cannot be spent, that it be burnt, or thrown into the fea; and that for this caufe there fhall not be any caufe or action commenced against the owners thereof, or perfons which fhall fell it, nor they fhall not be imprisoned, nor in

formed

formed against and forafmuch as the adminifters of the customs, and others of divers duties which are received for the fruits and merchandizes, do use when any body doth inform, to have the person imprisoned which fheweth himself to be party, whereby happeneth to men of trade great difcredit, charges, and vexations; my will is, and I do command, that in the faid information, there fhall be only proceeded against the merchandizes, and not against the perfons; but they fhall be permitted (as I do permit them) to make, and they fhall make their defences in the faid vexation. And forafmuch alfo as, according to an article of the faid peace, which maketh mention of matters in religion, notwithstanding that in fome fuits they fhould declare whether they be Roman Catholics or not, excufing themselves to give faith to others which they take as parties or as witneffes;

I do alfo command, that concerning this matter there be not done, nor there fhall not be done, any thing with those which are born in the faid realm, but only that the faid condition be kept and accomplished, and that no fuch queftions be put unto them, giving unto the oaths which they fhall take in judgment court, and without, the fame faith and credit which should be given in cafe they were Spaniards; and herein you fhall not receive any trouble or moleftation, nor there fhall not be any grievance done unto you: and whereas, for the juftification of fome caufes, the judges and juftices do pretend that the merchants of the faid nation fhould exhibit books of their contractions or dealings; I do will and command, that the books of the merchants of the faid nation shall not be taken out of their hands for any cause whatsoever, but they fhall keep and fhew them in their houses, to take out the parcel which fhall be appointed, and others fhall not be demanded of them, nor there fhall not be any other papers taken from them, upon penalty that he which fhall do here against, shall be punished according to law.

And

And forafmuch as the merchants do difpatch the merchandize from the cuftom-house of the faid city of Sivil of all duties, and because there are many which do make up a fheet, which is fubfcribed and figned by all the officers, and remaineth in the hand of the alcayde of the custom-houfe; for that by virtue thereof the merchandizes are permitted to go forth, which are in fardels, packs, trunks, and cafes; and afterwards, when they have taken them forth, and put them into their houses and warehouses, the chief keeper of the custom-house, and the officers of the half per cent. do vifit the house and goods, troubling and molefting them, demanding of them the dif patches, it seeming unto them that they may detain them, because they left the difpatch in the hands of the faid alcayde of the custom-houfe; I do prohibit and command, that the houfes of the faid merchants shall not be vifited, nor the dispatches fhall not, nor may not be demanded of them, in regard they have them not in their hands; and this is to be understood, and is understood, of houses which are within the walls of the faid city: and to the end it may be known to you which are of the English nation, there is to be delivered unto you copies of the faid privileges and exemptions which do concern you, and which were granted unto you, as well by the articles of peace as by any other manner. And for execution and accomplishment of all the premifes, I do command those of my council, and thofe of my councils, affemblies, and tribunals of my court, and the presidents and judges of my audiences, alcaydes, and officers of my houfe and court, and chanceries, and the regent and judge of the court of degrees of the city of Sivil, and chief alcaldes of the precincts thereof, and all the corrigidors, affiftants, and governors, chief juftices and ordinaries, as well in the faid cities of Sivil, Cadiz, Malaga, and St. Lucar de Barameda, as of all other cities, towns, and places of thefe my realms and dominions, and all other judges and juftices whatsoever, of what quality

quality or condition foever they may be, whom principally or incidentally may concern in any manner the accomplishment or performance of that which is contained in this patent, that presently, fo foon as they fhall be by virtue thereof required, or the copy thereof figned by a notary public, that there be thereunto given as much faith as unto the original; and that every one, in the place where it fhall concern him, do obferve and accomplish, and caufe the fame to be obferved, accomplished, and executed, in and for all things as therein is contained, and they fhall not in all nor in part put upon you any impediments, nor any other difficulties or doubts, nor do any thing against the tenor and form thereof, nor confent or give way that it be interpreted, limited, or fufpended in all or in part, or that to the contrary be given any fedidas, provifions, or other difpatches: but for obfervation thereof, in the place which fhall concern every one, they fhall give order and ordain to deliver unto you those which fhall be neceffaty: and for more firmnefs and validity of the favour and grace which by this my patent I do grant you, and that at all times. this favour may be certain and fure unto you, you are to keep or have a judge confervator in Andaluzia, efpecially in the faid cities of Sivil, Malaga, Cadiz, and St. Lucar de Barameda, unto whom I am to give fufficient commiffion for keeping and accomplishing the faid privileges, liberties, and exemptions, who fhall conftrain and compel all and whatsoever perfons, of what fort or quality they may be, that fhall concern the faid nation, as well thofe which fhall be defendants accused, as thofe which fhall be plaintiffs, although the perfons which fhall accufe them, and which fhall be accufed by them, have private judges, as well by confent as agreement which they may have made by pre-eminence or privilege which they hold, to the end the faid judge confervator may only take knowledge privately of the faid courts, and not any other judge or tribunal, although it be by way of excefs or noto