Epstein, Mordecai: The English Levant Company: its foundation and its history to 1640 (London: George Routledge & Sons Ltd, 1908)

14 THE EARLY HISTORY OF

that the cancelled treaty was renewed,44 in
face of strong opposition on the part both of
the French and the Venetian ambassadors ;
and the first-fruits of the new treaty were
visible in the arrival of an English merchant-
ship at Constantinople on June g, 1584.45
Harborne’s mission was originally purely
for trading purposes. But in due course
Elizabeth must have perceived that if he
were given a political position he would be
the better able to win the Sultan’s support
against Spain. No doubt the common hos-
tility of the two rulers to Spain helped to
draw them closer together,46 and the English
merchants all through the negotiations were
not unmindful of this political aspect of the
case.47 They point out that if the queen
has an agent in Constantinople she may thus
be enabled to use the Grand Signior in any
small diamonds and 2 small rubies, which
might be worth ..... 20
£120.”
44 V. S. P. vol. 8, No. 138.
45 V. S. P. vol. 8, No. 191.
46 Cf. Appendix VIII. No. 2. Cf. also P. Masson :
Histoire du Commerce Frangais dans le Levant, xvii.
47 Cf. Appendix VIII. No. 1 (e.g. p. 241).