"دليل الخليج. مجلد I. القسم التاريخي. الأجزاء Iأ و Iب. ج.ج. لوريمر ١٩١٥" [‎١‎١] (١٧٨٢/١٥٤)

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issued by Shah ^Abbas, whereby he threw Persia open to Christian
merchants of all nations, exempted them from the jurisdiction of the
ordinary Persian authorities, and provided for the safe custody of their
property in case of death, appears to have been obtained from him by
Sir Anthony Sherley * Sir Anthony returned to Europe with a general
mission probabU suggested by himself—from the Shah to all the princes
ot Christendom, in the discharge of which he visited Russia, Germany,
Italy and Spain, but not, apparently, England ; his proceedings, however,
had no solid result. A Persian, whom Shah J Abbas had associated with
him in the mission, gave Sir Anthony much trouble from time to time by
claiming to be himself the real ambassador; but this individual, having
returned from Rome, was put to death by his royal master on his arrival in
Persia. Sir Anthony Sherley, whose fidelity seems to have been doubted
by his own Government, settled in Spain on the conclusion of his mission ;
and there he resided, neglecting to comply with an order to return to
England, until his death in 1630.
After the departure of his elder brother for Europe, Robert Sherley Proceedings
remained at the court of the Shah, apparently as a hostage. After a time Robert
i cn i i • • i • ftnerlcy in
the Shah, not having received any news of Sir Anthony's embassy, began Persia and
to regard Robert Sherley with less favour than in the beginning; but
the Englishman, by signal services against the Turks, succeeded in 1600-13.
regaining the Shah's good graces and was able to secure the punishment,
as already described, of the Persian commissioner who had been sent with
Sir Anthony to Europe. At length, in 1608 or 1609, Shah 'Abbas des
patched Robert Sherley himself to Europe, in the same manner as he had
sent his brother, to establish and confirm relations of friendship between
Persia and the European powers and to announce the Shah's intention of
utterly destroying the Turks and of bringing the frontiers of Persia into
contact with those of Christendom. After visiting Poland and Germany
in 1609 and Italy in 1610, Robert Sherley proceeded to Madrid, where he
propounded a scheme for diverting the Persian silk trade, then carried on
overland to the advantage of the Turks, to Hormuz or some adjacent port
in the Persian Gulf ; but the scheme was coldly received by the Spanish
court, He then came to England, and, on the 2nd October 1611, had
an audience of King James at Hampton Court, where he exhibited his
commission and delivered letters signifying " the Persian's great love and
" affection unto His Majesty, with hearty desire of amity with the King
* The date of thia Parman has been coniectured to be 1699 ; bnt, if it was obtained
by Sir A. Sherley, the date is more likely to have been 1600. See Calendar of State
Paper* {East Indies), 1513-1616, page 103 ; but the substance of the grant will be
found more fully given in Malcolm's History of Persia, Volume II, pagen 635-6.