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

98 THE EARLY HISTORY OF
since “ the election of such their public minis-
ters being wholly in themselves, which power
they mean neither to wave nor yet to com-
municate, whereby it may suffer the least
diminution.” Still, because they thought
very highly of Mr. Greene they agreed to let
him be one of three candidates to be recom-
mended to the Court. He was eventually
chosen and his salary fixed at 500 Dollars
per annum.
There appears to have been a time limit
in some cases for the holding of the office of
consul. Mr. Markham,90 for example, was
appointed Consul in Aleppo from midsummer
1622 for 4 years. Afterwards his appoint-
ment was prolonged. Similarly Mr. Potton,91
who was also chosen for Aleppo, in 1627, was
appointed in the first instance for four years.
A curious case in reference to the appoint-
ment of consuls occurred in the year 1638.92
Mr. Symonds had been appointed consul for
the islands of Zant and Cephalonia.93 An
90 See list of consuls in Appendix IV. Cf. Min.
July 31, 1633.
91 Min. May 1, 1627. 92 Min. May 1, 1638.
93 Cf. Min. March 10, 1637, and see below, p. 128,
note (45).