Richard Cocks to the E. I. Company.[161]
Firando in Japon, le 1th January, 1616[7].
Right worshipfull,—
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May it please your Wors. to understand that, these 2 shipps [the Thomas and the Advice] being arived at Firando in Japon and Mr. Jno. Baylie being very sick, wherof he shortly after died, it was generally thought fit that I made a journey to the court of the new Emperour Shungo Samme, to renew our privelegese (as the Hollanders ment to do the lyke), in which voyage I was 4 monethes and 5 daies before I retorned to Firando, and the Hollanders are not yet retorned. Yet the 5th day after I arived at court our present was deliverd, and had audience with many favorable wordes, but could not get my dispach in above a month
after; so that once I thought we should have lost all our privelegese, for the Councell sent unto us I think above twenty tymes to know whether the English nation were Christians or no. I answerd we were, and that they knew that before by our Kinges Maties. letter sent to the Emperour his father (and hym selfe), wherein it apeared he was defender of the Christian faith. “But”, said they, “are not the Jesuists and fryres Christians two?” Unto which I answerd they were, but not such as we were, for that all Jesuists and fryres were banished out of England before I was borne, the English nation not houlding with the pope nor his doctryne, whose followers these padres (as they cald them) weare. Yt is strang to see how often they sent to me about this matter, and in the end gave us waynyng that we did not comunecate, confesse, nor baptiz with them, for then they should hold us to be all of one sect. Unto which I replied that their Honours needed not to stand in dowbt of any such matter, for that was not the custom of our nation.
Soe, in the end, they gave me our new privelegese with the Emperours ferme, telling me they were conformable to the former. So herewith I departed, and, being 2 daies journey on my way, met an expres from Mr. Wickham, wherin he wrot me from Miaco that the justice (per the Emperours comand) had geven order that all strangers should be sent downe to Firando or Langasaque, and forthwith departe and carry all their merchandiz with them and not stay to sell any, so that he was forced to keepe within howse, and our hostes durst sell nothing. Which news from Mr. Wickham seemed very strang unto me. Whereupon I sought one to read over our privelegise, which with much a do at last I fownd a boz (or pagon prist) which did it, and was that we were restrayned to have our shiping to goe to no other place in Japon but Firando, and there to make sales. Whereupon I retorned back againe to the
court, where I staid 18 or 20 daies more, still suing and puting up suplecations to have our privelegese enlarged as before, aledging that yf it were not soe, that my soveraigne lord King James would think it to be our misbehaviours that cauced our privelegese to be taken from us, they having so lately before byn geven us by his Matis. father of famous memory, and that it stood me upon as much as my life was worth to get it amended, otherwais I knew not how to shew my face in England. Yet, for all this, I could get nothing but wordes. Whereupon I desyred to have the ould privelegese retorned and to render back the new, with condition they would geve us 3 yeares respite to write into England and have answer whether our Kinges Matie. would be content our privelegese should be so shortned or no. Yet they would not grant me that. And then I desird we might have leave to sell such merchandiz as we had now at Miaco, Osakay, Sackay, and Edo; otherwais I knew not what to do, in respect Firando was but a fysher towne, haveing no marchantes dwelling in it, and that it was tyme now to send back our shipps and junckes, and nothing yet sould. Yet this I could not have granted nether. So that with much a doe in the end they gave me leave, as I past, to sell my goodes to any one would presently buy it, or else leave it to be sould with any Japon I thought good to trust with it. Which restrant hath much hindered our sales and put me to my shiftes, the rather for that the order of Japon is that no stranger may sell any thing at arivall of their shipps till it be knowne what the Emperour will take; so that it is allwais above a month or 6 wickes before a post can run to and fro to have lycence.
And at my coming away Oyen Dono and Codsquin Dono, the Emperours secretarys, tould me that they were sory they could not remedy this matter of our privelegese at present, the reason being for that an Emperours edict per act of parliament being soe lately set out could not so sowne
be recalled without scandalle, but the next yeare, yf I renewed my sute, my demandes being so substantiated, they did verely think it might be amended, in respect Firando was well knowne to be but a fisher towne. So that I aledged the Emperour might as well take away all our privelegese and banish us out of Japon as to shut us up in such a corner as Firando, where no marchantes dwell. But I hope the next yeare, when Generall Keeling cometh, it may be amended; otherwais I feare me our Japon trade will not be worth the looking after.