before seen:  Which I receive, not as from a stranger, but as from your majesty, whom I esteem as myself, desiring the continuance of friendship with your highness:  And that it may consist with your good pleasure to send your subjects to any part or port of my dominions, where they shall be most heartily welcome, applauding much their worthiness in the admirable knowledge of navigation, as having with much facility discovered a country so remote, not being amazed by the distance of so mighty a gulf, nor the greatness of such infinite clouds and storms, from prosecuting the honourable enterprises of discovery and merchandising, in which they shall find me to encourage them as they desire.  By your said subject, I return to your majesty a small token of my love, desiring you to accept the same as from one who much rejoices in your friendship.  And, whereas your majesty’s subjects have desired certain privileges for trade and the settlement of a factory in my dominions, I have not only granted what they desired, but have confirmed the same to them under my broad seal, for the better establishment thereof.  Given from my castle of Surunga, this fourth day of the ninth month, in the eighteenth year of our reign, according to our computation; resting your majesty’s friend, the highest commander in the kingdom of Japan.

Subscribed

Minna Muttono_[24]. Yei.  Ye.  Yeas.

[Footnote 24:  In the copy of the privileges, Purchas gives this name Mottono while the editor of Astley’s Collection has altered it to Monttono.  In the privileges formerly inserted, the date is made in the nineteenth month, perhaps an error of the press in the Pilgrims, which we have therefore corrected to ninth.—­E.]

At my return to Surunga, I found a Spanish ambassador from the Philippine islands, who had only been once introduced to the emperor, and delivered his presents, being certain Chinese damasks, and five jars of European sweet wine, and could not obtain any farther access to the emperor.  The purpose of his embassy was, to require that such Portuguese and Spaniards as were then in Japan, not authorised by the king of Spain, might be delivered up to him, that he might carry them to the Philippines.  This the emperor refused, saying his country was free, and none should be forced out of it:  But, if the ambassador could persuade any to go with him, they should not be detained.  The cause of the ambassador making this request was on account of the great want of men to defend the Molucca islands against the Dutch, who were then making great preparations for the entire conquest of these islands.  After the ambassador had waited for an answer till the time limited by his commission was expired, and receiving none, he went away much dissatisfied:  And when at the sea side, an answer was returned, as mentioned above, together with a slender present of five Japanese gowns, and two cattans or swords.