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state_n	great_a	province_n	unite_a	1,718	5	9.9410	5	true

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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A21090	A true relation of the vniust, cruell, and barbarous proceedings against the English at Amboyna in the East-Indies, by the Neatherlandish gouernour and councel there Also the copie of a pamphlet, set forth first in Dutch and then in English, by some Neatherlander; falsly entituled, A true declaration of the newes that came out of the East-Indies, with the pinace called the Hare, which arriued at Texel in Iune, 1624. Together with an answer to the same pamphlet. By the English East-India companie. Published by authoritie.	Skinner, John, Sir, fl. 1624.; Digges, Dudley, Sir, 1583-1639.; Wing, John, of Flushing, Zealand.; East India Company.	1624 (1624)	STC 7451; ESTC S100220	56,331	110

and the rest when Capt. Towersons head was off Nay what desire had Tomson and Clarke to liue being so mangled and martyred by the torture They were executed one by one and euery one seuerall tooke it vpon his death tha●… he was guiltlesse Now to blanch a●…d smooth ouerall this rough and barbarous proceeding it is here giuen out that the Gouernor Fiscall found such euidence of the plot and dealt so euenly in the processe that they spared not their owne people hauing vsed some of their natiue Hollanders partakers of this treason in the same maner as they did the English But this as well by the relation here truely and faithfully set downe grounded vpon the sworn testimonie of sixe credible witnesses as also by other sufficient reports of diuerse lately come out of those parts appeareth to bee a meere tale not once alleaged by anie in the Indies in many moneths after the execution but only inuented and dispersed here for a Fucus and a faire colour vpon the whole cause and to make the world beleeue that the ground of this barbarous and tyrannous proceeding was a true crime and not the vnsatiable couetousnesse of the Hollanders by this cruell treacherie to gain the sole Trade of the Molluccos Banda and Amboyna which is already become the euent of this bloody processe To adde hereunto by way of aggrauation will be needlesse the fact is so full of odious and barbarous inhumanitie executed by Hollanders vpon the English Nation in a place where both liued vnder termes of partnership and great amitie confirmed by a most solemne Treaty FINIS A TRVE DECLARATION OF the News that came out of the East-Indies with the Pinace called the HARE which arriued in TEXEL in Iune 1624. CONCERNING A Conspiracy discouered in the Iland of Amboyna and the punishment following thereupon according to the course of iustice in March 1624. comprehended in a Letter missiue AND SENT From a friend in the Low-Countries to a friend of note in England for information of him in the truth of those passages Printed anno 1624. Right Worshipf●…ll and Worthy SIR THe great outcryes which haue beene made in England vpon the last newes which came out of the East-Indies about a certayne execution which was done in the Iland of Amboyna in March 1623. because we see the great desire that your Worship hath to keep good correspondence betwixt these two Nations it hath caused me beyond my owne curiosity to search inq●…ire after theright true beginnings procedings and issues of these affaires vpon which this execution followed Wherein I perswade my selfe I haue attained good successe by such meanes as I haue vsed and by my good acquaintance so that at the last I am come to the cleare light of the matter partly by the letters that haue beene sent home to the Company here and declared to the States Generall as also by a particular examination of the processe made against them in Amboyna before their execution and sent ouer hither in writing which at this present hath caused mee to write this vnto your Worship that so the truth may bee made knowne concerning this busines in all places where your Worthynes and respect can or may bring it to passe that so your Worship and all true well willers of our Countrey may be no otherwise thought of than wee deserue THe very causes and beginnings through which the Gouernour and Councell established in the name of the Vnited Netherlands in Amboyna came into suspicion that some thing was plotted against that Province did first flow from the great licentiousnes of the Tarnatanes in Moluque and Amboyna Who contrary to the contract of alliance 1606. made with the High and Mighty Lords the States attempted without our consent and knowledge to make peace with the King of Tidore as also truce with the Spaniards their and our ancient aduersaries by which the said Tarnatanes had too much cast off all respect which they both in regard of our confederacy and manifold assistance did owe to this State The Spaniard also was master enough at sea in the Moluque because the English Merchants there in the East-Indies were vnwilling to furnish vs with ships of warre toward the common defence as they were bound to doe according to the treaties 1619. to the number of ten Through which the voyages to Mannila comming to cease the enemy traded there without any interruption procured power to send Gallyes Shipps and Pynasses to the Moluque with great succours of people and prouision and that because against the same through the default of the English Merchants there were no Ships of warre kept as there should haue beene The subiects of the King of Tarnata begun to commit great insolencies otherwise than they were wont against our Nation hauing outragiously assaulted diuers of vs diuers wayes and also slayne some and wee notwithstanding could not obtayne any punishment vpon them And as one outrage vnpunished prouokes many more through hope of the like impunity or other considerations so were the sayd Tarnatanes of Amboyna dwelling at Loho Cambello and those neere adioyning places proceeded further and haue armed themselues at Sea and inuaded diuers Ilands and places standing vnder the Netherlands Gou●…rnour in Amboyna spoyling them and killing our subiects and taking others and carring them away for slaues And notwithstanding the instant request of the Netherlands Gouernour no satisfaction or iustice ha●…h followed but the said Tarnatanes are yet gone further and openly threatned to murder the Dutch Marchants and to spoyle and burne the Logie or Factory which our people haue many yeares there enioyed so that our Merchants haue taken out the Dutch goods to auoid damage And the Tarnatanes at Loho did actually set on fire and ruined the said Netherlands Factory In the Manichells an Iland being vnder the Prouince of Amboyna they haue in like manner shortly after burned the Netherlands Logie with the losse of all the goods therein The Netherlands Gouernour that by his presence and authority hee might cause such rebellions to cease and to giue order for time to come and also to seeke satisfaction and punishment vpon the foresaid insolencies went toward Loho with a small power of sloopes and comming there-about was mett otherwise than was wont by a nauy of sloopes of the Tarnatanes of Loho stronger than his were Thes●… by their conference gaue him well to knowe how little reuerence they gaue the Dutch Gouernour they braued him without hope of restitution of any thing to come so that nothing done he was faine to returne to his Castell of Amboyna By reason of these things the sayd Tarnatanes became so stout and daring that they gaue out openly that they would come and spoile our subiects by a generall army with aboue a 100. Friggetts with these they said they would come against Amboyna to make a vniuersall spoile of our people Through which there came a great feare vpon the Indians standing

borne at Firando and the other Sacoube of the same place the former of which being tortured confessed both to haue beene priuie to this pretended treason and to haue offered his seruice vnto the English to ayde them in taking of the Castle and the latter confessed to haue had knowledge of the consultation of the other Iapons to this purpose But neyther of them was executed nor so much as condemned The reason whereof was not knowne to the English that were saued They had prepared a cloth of blacke Veluet for Captaine Towerson s bodie to fall vpon which being stayned and defaced with his blood they afterwards put to the account of the English Companie At the instant of the execution there arose a great darkenesse with a sudden and violent gust of winde and tempest whereby ●…wo of the Dutch Shippes riding in the harbour were driuen from their anchors and with great labour and difficulty saued from the rockes Within a few dayes after one William Dunckin who had told the Gouernour That Robert Browne the English Tailour had a few moneths before told him hee hoped that within sixe moneths the English should haue as much to doe in the Castle of Amboyna as the Dutch This fellow comming vpon an euening to the graue where the English were buried beeing all saue Captain Towerson in one pit fell down vpon the graue and hauing lien there awhile rose vp againe starke mad and so continued two or three dayes together and then died Foorthwith also fell a new sicknesse at Amboyna which swept away about a thousand people Dutch and Amboyners in the space wherein there vsually died not aboue thirty at other seasons These signes were by the suruiuing English referred to the confident prediction of Emanuel Tomson aboue-named and were by the Amboyners interpreted as a token of the wrath of God for this barbarous tyranny of the Hollanders The next day after the execution beeing the eight and twentith of February Stilo veteri was spent in triumph for the new General of the Dutch then proclaimed and in publick rejoycing for the deliuerance from this pretended treason The day following being the first of March Iohn Beomont George Sharrock Edward Collins and William Webber were brought to the Gouernor who told Webber Beomont and Sharrock that they were pardoned in honour of the new Generall and Collins that hee was to go to Iaccatra there to stand to the fauour of the Generall So the Gouernor made them drink wine with him and curteously dismissed them willing them to go and consult with the rest that were saued who were fit to be placed in the seuerall Factories Which done and their opinions reported to the Gouernor hee accordingly commanded each to his place adding that he would thenceforth take vpon him the patronage and gouernment of the English Companies businesse To which purpose he had within a few daies past opened a Letter that came from the English President at Iaccatra directed to Captaine Towerson beeing as hee said the first English Letter that euer he intercepted further saying that he was glad that he found by that Letter that the English at Iaccatra were innocent touching this businesse The Gouernor and Fiscall hauing thus made an end at Amboyna dispatched themselues for Banda where they made very diligent enquiry against Captaine Welden the English Agent there yet found no colour nor shadow of guilt to lay hold on but at last entertained him with courteous speeches professing to bee very glad that they found him as well as the English at Iaccatra to bee without suspicion of this treason as they tearm it Captaine Welden perceiuing the disorder and confusion of the English Companies affaires at Amboyna by means of this dealing of the Dutch forthwith hired a Dutch Pinace at Banda and passed to Amboyna where instantly vpon his arriuall he re-called the Companies seruants sent as before by the Dutch Gouernor to the vnderFactories Hauing enquired of them the rest that were left at Amboyna of the whole proceedings lately passed hee found by the constant and agreeing relation of them all that there was no such treason of the English as was pretended as also vnderstanding what strict command the Gouernor had giuen to the suruiuing English not once to talk or conferre with the countrey-people concerning this bloody businesse although the said countrey-people euery day reproached them with treason and a bloody intention to haue massacred the natiues and to haue ripped vp the bellies of women with childe and such like stuffe wherewith the Dutch haue possessed the poore Vulgar to make the English odious vnto them The said M. Welden therefore finding it to sort neither with the honour nor profit of the English Company his Masters to hold any longer residence in Amboyna hee took this poore remnant of the English along with him in the said hired Pinace for Iaccatra whither the Gouernor had sent Iohn Beomont and Edward Collins before as men condemned and left to the mercy of the Generall When this heauy newes of Amboyna came to Iaccatra and the English there the President forthwith sent to the Generall of the Dutch to knowe by what authority the Gouernor at Amboyna had thus proceeded against the English and how he the rest of the Dutch there at Iaccatra did approoue these proceedings The Gouernor returned for answer that The Gouernor of Amboyna's authority was deriued from that of the Lords States General of the Vnited Neatherlands vnder whom hee had lawfull iurisdiction both in criminall and ciuill causes within the destrict of Amboyna further that such proceeding was necessary against traitors such as the English executed at Amboyna might appeare to bee by their owne confessions a copie wherof he therewith sent to the English President who sent the same back to be authentickly certified but receiued it not again Hitherto hath been recited the bare and naked narration of the progresse and passage of this action as it is taken out of the depositions of six seueral English Factors whereof foure were condemned and the other two acquitted in this processe of Amboyna all since their return in●…o England examined vpon their othes in the Admiralty Court The particular of captaine Towerson's as also of Tomson's examinations and answers are not yet come to light by reason that these two were kept apart from all the rest and each alone by himselfe nor any other of the English suffered to come to speak with them except onely that short Farewell which Iohn Beomont took of Tomson the morning before the execution before-mentioned The like obscurity is yet touching the examinations and answers of diuerse of the rest that are executed being during their imprisonment so strictly lookt to and watched by the Dutch that they might not talk together nor mutually relate their miseries But because the Hollanders defend their own proceedings by the confessions of the parties executed acknowledging seuerally vnder their hands that they were guilty of the pretended

vnder the subiection of the High and Mighty Lords the States as also ouer the Netherlanders In the Ilands lying farre Eastward of Banda it was also said and the newes went currantly there That the Hollanders were sure enough quit of the Castle of Amboyna And at that time there were diuers secret correspondencies betweene the Indians and others which gaue vs great suspicion By this meanes the Neatherlands Gouernour Councell of Amboyna were moued to haue speciall regard and looke narrowly vnto all things seeing that it might bee thence clearly gathered that something might be plotted against the State in Amboyna and that the Indians of themselues durst not offer to vndertake any such great designe without some great helpe of some of Europe either of Spaniards Portugalls or some other and also they vnderstood that they of Loho Cambello c. had great secret correspondence with the English Merchants When things were in such a state in Amboyna there came forth and was wonderfully discouered in February 1623. a horrible conspiracie against the Castle and Person of the Dutch Gouernour and the whole state of Amboyna and first by the apprehension of a certaine Iaponian a complice of the feate who at an vnseasonable time was often seene vpon the wall of the Castle where he also ouer-curiously enquired of the most vnskilfull and sillyest souldiers touching the setting and change of the Watch and what number of people might bee in the Castle and many other things Whereupon in the very act the sayd Iaponian was apprehended and being examined of many circumstances hee confessed that the Iaponian souldiers vnder our seruice had decreed to make themselues Masters of the Castle and that they should haue sett vpon this by the helpe of the English who had sollicited them vnto it and that hee with all the other Iaponians in the English house often times within three moneths before-going had conferred with the English whome he there named by their names touching the manner whereby they should bring this treachery to passe Hereupon it came to passe that all the Iaponian souldiers which were in our seruice were disarmed and imprisoned and by examination of them all it appeared playnly by an orderly and ioynt-confession that all the said Iaponians vpon the intreaty of Gabriel Towerson and other English Merchants and Officers agreed to assist the said English to betray the Castle and to giue it ouer into the English Power and that Gabriell Towerson and Abel Price an English Chirurgion and other English dealt often with them whom hee named by their names of the way and meanes how they should worke it the sayd Abel Prince being before imprisoned for a foule and execrable fact and yet remayning in durance And although it appeared sufficiently to the Gouernour and Councell of Amboyna out of the confession of the Iaponians what the sayd Gabriel Towerson with his Merchants and other complices had before resolued to do and that the Councel had sufficient information to imprison them all yet the Gener all Councell would not precipitate but commanded the said Abel Price who was in prison to come before the Councell and after the places persons and time nominated to him where and when hee had dealt with the Iaponians and other English about the said treachery it was also from him well vnderstood how hee in the name and by the command of Gabriell Towerson and another Iaponian who was then also in prison had perswaded all the Iaponians to consent to this villany and that consequently the said Towerson as the first Authour and all the other English Merchants being in the Forraigne Cantore of the Prouince of Amboyna had also knowl●…dge of the sayd treachery Vpon this full and vniforme examination and confession of 12. persons as well of the 11. Iaponians as one Engl●…sh is the said Gabriell Towerson called to the Councell and there appearing the sayd Towerson called together all his people vnto the Castle vpon the request of the Generall Councell who were there taken and imprisoned except the said Gabriel Towerson himselfe to whom vpon his request and in regard of his quality being chiefe merchant in Amboyna in the name of the English Company his owne house was allotted him for his safe keeping and forth comming And the said prisoners were all lawfully and orderly examined and it appeared by them ioyntly according to their owne confession euery one hauing vnderwritten it with his owne hand as followeth Gabriel Towerson about New yeares day 1623. hauing with him almost all the English Merchants of the Forraigne Cantore in Amboyna he assembled them in his chamber and propounded to them that he had something of great moment to impart vnto them which hee alone could not effect vnder the fidelity of an oath to bee taken before for the keeping secret thereof and being trusty therein saying It is necessary so to bee for if the thing should come abroad which I shall make knowne vnto you it will cost all our liues Whereupon the holy Gospell was produced vpon which euery one who was present did sweare secrecy and fidelity as was required Then Towerson after a preface opened to the conspirators how hee had a way and meanes to make himself Master of the Castle of Amboyna And wheras some present made it difficult to doe being too weake for it the said Towerson answered That he had already won to his purpose the Iaponian souldiers who were in the Castle and that they should execute his purpose when the Dutch who were in the Castle were in their greatest weakenesse and worst prouided or vnawares when the Gou●…rnour should bee absent about some exploit and that they should waite till some English ships or ship were in Amboyna whose people hee might employ in this attempt as also when as all other the English Merchants and slaues of the Forraigne Cantore in Amboyna should bee sent for to the Castle And said further That hee knew how to get men enow and they should leaue this to his care and themselues do their best and that they of Loho should also come to helpe him with certaine Corrercorens c. vpon which inducements all that were present swore to assist Towerson herin And concerning the manner of execution the sayd Towerson had prescribed to the Iaponians which were in the Castle that they should send to euery point of the Bulwarkes two men and the rest in the court attend the Gouernour and to murder him and that at the signe which should be giuen by the English they should make themselues Masters of euery point of the bulwarke and kill all who should resist and imprison the rest and further should take and diuide betweene themselues and the Iaponians the goods of the Dutch East-Indian Company except a 1000. rialls of 8. which euery Iaponian should haue before and that they should kill the citizens who would not consent with them and do them all the mischeife they could And touching

Iaponian souldiers and that all the English Merchants in the Forraigne Cantores in Amboyna had knowledge of this conspiracy c. So that it may be seene out of that which went before that the Dutch Gouernour dealt no otherwise in the apprehension examination of the English than according to his place and power and that with great discretion according to the lawes of these Vnited Prouinces The second point which is abusiuely dispersed in England against this execution is that it is said that it did not appertain to the Netherlanders in Amboyna to imprison the said English and to proceede against them or to punish them but that it did belong to the Councell of defence resident at Iaquetra consisting half of English half of Netherlanders according to the treaty of the yeare 1619. made betweene his Maiesty and the Lords the States betweene the two East-India Companyes That I might the better informe my selfe thereof I tooke in hand and perused the generall treaty of 1619. with the explication following thervpon but I professe that as I thinke euery vnderstanding man not louing discord must confesse that neither in the said treaty nor in the enlargement any one article or word could be perceiued wherby according ●…o that which is vntruely said in England either this or any such thing is ordayned or decided by the said treaty as it ought to haue clearely beene in so great and important a point as this part of iurisdiction is I appeale to all wise men who I desire may iudge of this whether this speech of some in England to wit that the said Councell of defence should alone haue iudged these conspirators bee agreable to the said treaty or contrary to the same I finde many arguments for my negatiue opinion to wit that before the treaty of 1619. the Dutch in Amboyna administred iurisdiction and iudicature vpon all and euery one who dwelt in or vnder the iurisdiction of the Castle as well inhabitants as strangers without difference and that in this said treaty the Dutch with the English Merchants made onely a league in the matter of commerce and negotiation of Nutmegs Mace Cloues and Pepper in some quarters without hauing any further treaty or communication in the land so that without the bounds of this common negotiation euery one remained free and vn-hyndered in the land by the right and possession which either Company enioyed and exercised seuerally according as the same appeareth out of the 23. article of the treaty where it is expressly said That Castles and Forts shall remayne in their hands who at present doe possesse them And out of the 13. 14. 15. articles of the treaty all may see that this common Councell of Defence hath no more power saue onely ouer the fellowship of the treaty that is ouer the Nauy of defence in the Sea to the defence of the common Merchandize and liberty of commerce and lastly to taxe the charges for the prouision of munition in the Forts neither can any other thing be sincerely collected out of the said treaty so farre as I can conceiue Therefore this second point is found to be vntrue and abusiue being not founded vpon the said treaty which treaty notwithstanding ought to bee the onely rule both of the one and the other Company Finally it is giuen out in England that in the examination of the Conspirators there was excesse in the Netherlands Iudges in the point of Torture I acknowledge that no argument or pretext against the iustice of this execution hath more mooued mee in the beginning than this pretence of excesse aforefaid because this stirreth Christian compassion although I also iudge that wise men will not suffer themselues to bee too much transported thereby before the true reasons doe fully appeare which should moue vs thereunto For I well remember yet that in the time of former mistakings in the Indyes many things were pretended on both parts vpon which there were great outcries one either side which yet by due examination were found to be though faire yet false pretexts of some ill-willers and men desirous to wrangle which pretences being throughly sifted by the High and much admired wisdome of his Maiesty and the Lords the States were well discouered ●…o be no such matters as they were made as it is also vndoub●…edly to be beleeued that his Maiesty and the States will yet further doe in this affaire and so the cause of the Dutch Company may bee in the carriage hereof rightly iustified Of which I vnderstand that the Lords the States haue speciall regard and that they haue beene throughly informed what is the very truth of the things there past and of the execution in Amboyna vpon the English Conspirators Vnto which end the Lords the States resolued to see and peruse all the papers and letters touching the said pro●…eedings And now thereupon men speake farre otherwise than heretofore for pretences and cauills being once detected cannot stand with truth And it doth plainly appeare that there is little truth in the matter of torture reported to bee most cruelly inslicted vpon these English Conspirators as in England it is said And I haue euer suspected this for a slander for I know the Dutch Nation doth naturally abhorre this kinde of cruelty and are as much mooued to commiseration as any other people But whether these euill minded men who haue scattered this great slander in England and haue so fowly defaced a iust cause haue done it by occasion of our vse of tortures in these lands in some weighty causes according to the custome of the most dominions of Europe I cannot iudge But is that to bee censured and iudged 〈◊〉 bee vniust of the whole world which is repugnant to the l●…wes of England or any one Nation where tor●…ure is rarely vsed Nothing so but the iustice or iniustice of a cause must bee as aforesaid determined according to the lawes where it is done and not of other lands If this were not so why then should not the whole world much more iudge that as a hard and a thing vnheard and therfore condemnable which in some cases is vsed in England according to the lawes there when they proceed against some guilty person who being once and againe asked of the Iudge and vtterly refusing to bee legally tried is adiudged as dumbe that is by contumacy whose condemnation then accordingly followeth that hee is laid vpon a table or planke and another planke vpon him and so much weight of stone or lead laid vpon him that his body is miserably bruised and so pressed violently to death The which according to the confession of all nations especially because this kinde of iustice is not vsed in other lands and by the English writers is iudged to bee one of the most sharpe and seuere kindes of death that can bee inuented yet cannot such an execution bee called cruell and vnlawfull when it is done in England because it is done according

beeing so weakly prouided to stand of himselfe that so they might vtterly free themselues from their seruitude Heer also must be remembred that this Author himselfe in his preamble faith that the Indians themselues durst not vndertake any such great designe as he there feineth against the State of Amboyna without some great aid of some Nation of Europe either of Spaniards Portugals or some other Whereby is not onely confessed how weak the Indians of themselues are but withall it followeth how small hope M. Towerson might haue being deserted of his owne Nation as heer the case is put to hold the Castle for himselfe by the help of those Indians if yet hee could once haue wonne it In a word they that knowe the power of the Hollanders in Amboyna and thereabou●…s and the weaknesse of the poore Indians there will judge this conceit of M. Towerson's To keep the Castle for himselfe to bee a mad plot and for which M. Towerson should rather haue been sent to Bedlam or the Dullen Kist as the Dutch call it than to the Gallows But this Author hath one voluntary confession vpon which he taketh speciall hold to weet that M. Towerson after his examination was finished beeing expostulated withall by the Dutch Gouernour and demanded whether this should haue been the recompense of his the Gouernor's manifold courtesies towards him answered with a deep sigh Oh! were this matter now to doe it should neuer bee done This voluntary confession and penitent acknowledgement saith this Author was made the ninth of March being the day when the execution was to be done but the examination of Towerson was ended the eight and twentith of February so many daies before But how shall we beleeue this Forsooth hee hath it out of the Acts of the Processe of Amboyna Yea but in these Acts are omitted many materiall passages of these examinations as is already shewed why may they not then be guilty of addition aswell as of such mutilation and omission But let vs peruse the words of the Act i●… selfe which are these WEE whose names are heerunto subscribed do declare vpon our troth in stead of an oath that Gabriel Towerson after that hee had beene already examined touching his said offence and that the worshipfull Gouernor Van Speult had expostulated with him thereupon asking him whether this should haue been the recompense of his courtesies from time to time shewed vnto him the said Towerson thereupon hee the said Towerson with a deep sigh answered him and said Oh! if this were to bee begun againe it should neuer bee done Actum this ninth of March in the Castle of Amboyna and subsigned Harman van Speult Laurence de Maerschalck Clement Kersseboom Harman Crayeuanger Peter van Zanten Leonart Clocq Thus we see the Act it selfe and this pretended voluntarie confession of M. Towerson which is not deliuered vpon the credite of the Court or Councell at Amboyna and yet how small that is is before shewed but vpon the Attestation or Affidauit of the Gouernour and fiue others the principall actors in this bloody Tragedie And this not vpon their oath but vpon their troth or honest word forsooth in stead of an oath The time when these words were vttered by M. Towerson is not described by the day when he spake them but only by the precedent Act of his examination And yet the circumstance of time is not only an vsuall and customary solennity and requisite in all such Attestations but also in a businesse of this nature altogether necessarie as likewise in this case that of the place was For if these words were spoken in the place of torture or incontinently after the examination ended they are by their owne law esteemed no more voluntarie than the confession vpon the Racke it selfe Neyther yet doth this Attestation affirme that this confession was voluntarie But this Author vnconscionably reporting the date of the Attestation for the time of the confession collects it to be voluntary because as he saith it was made the ninth of March being so many dayes after his examination which was taken the 28. of February Can a man attest nothing but what was done vpon the very day when he maketh Affidauit The Attestation saith that these words were spoken by M. Towerson after he had bin alreadie examined Why may not that haue been rather vpon the very day of his examination than vpon the day when this Act was entred if yet he euer spake anie such words or meant them as he is here interpreted the contrarie whereof is the more probable by all the circumstances of this businesse truely set downe in the Relation of the English But in that this Author makes so much of this poor circumstance of M. Towersons profession of sorrow for what was done naming it a voluntarie confession it is plain how destitute he was of voluntary confessions and of all true and concluding circumstances What was there not a letter or other paper to be found in all the Chests and Boxes of the English so suddenly seised at Amboyna Larica Hitto and Cambello to discouer this treason nor amongst so manie complices of diuerse nations a false brother to betray the rest and accuse them voluntarily but the processe must begin with the torture the Heathens confession vpon torture be sufficient to bring Christians to torture the debauched and notoriously infamous persons such as Price was to draw torture vpon the sober orderly and vnstained And yet this Relation it selfe confesseth that Price's confession was drawne from him by the Examiners specifying of place persons and time vnto him Certainly one of their owne Nation had reason to aduise that more Aduocates might be sent ouer to the Indies to ayde the accused to make a legal answer For saith he they goe to worke there so villanously and murtherously that the blood of the poore people cryeth to heauen for vengeance But why haue we no particular of any mans confession but this of Price and M. Towerson and all the rest blended together in one body Did none of all the rest go 〈◊〉 than his fellowes or 〈◊〉 more ●…han they Where is Sharrocks confession that hee was at Amboyna vpon New-yeares day when tenne or twelue of the Dutch themselues witnessed he was at Hitto Where is his confession of Clarkes plot to goe to Maccassar to deale with the Spaniards there to come and rob the small Factories Where is Collins confession of another plot about two moneths and a halfe before his examination vndertaken by Tomson Iohnson Price Browne Fardo and himselfe Where be the leading Interrogatories that directed them to the accusation framed by the Dutch lest otherwise there had beene as many seuerall treasons confessed as persons examined Not a word of all this nor of a great deale more of this kinde which is here in England proued by the oath of sixe credible persons to haue passed in the examinations Wherby appeareth how faithfully the Dutch at Amboyna

Amboyna are bound to obserue the Lawes of the vnited Prouinces for so saith this Author himselfe Doe these allow to begin the processe at the torture and to bring persons of honest fame to the racke vpon others confession made in the torture Doe their lawes allow of the leading interrogatories aboue mentioned to direct the prisoner what to say to auoide the torture Where in the vnited Prouinces is that drowning with water in vse or the torture with fire vsed to Iohnson Tomson and Clarke or especially the splitting of their toes and launcing of the breast and putting in gun-powder and then firing the same whereby the body is not left intire neither for innocency nor execution Clarke and Tomson were both faine to be carried to their execution though they were tortured many dayes before Lastly their confessions were contradictorie apparantly false and of things impossible to bee done much lesse practised before by the said parties and therefore ought not by their law to haue been beleeued nor the prisoners to haue beene condemned thereupon without other sufficient indicia or euidence besides In the last place this Author handleth the excesse of torture whereof hee taketh notice there is much complaint in England and saith That the Lords States generall take great care to enforme themselues of all the passages of this businesse and to that end haue desired to see all the letters peeces and papers that concerne this processe by which it appeareth not that there was any cruell torture vsed But suppose the acts make no mention of them is it any maruell that the Authours of this murtherous and tyrannous processe being themselues the persons that also formed the acts would omit those things that made against them It is to be presumed also that the acts kept by their people at Poloway in Banda haue omitted many things of their processe against the poore Polaroones whom in August 1622. being about sixe moneths before this execution of the English their Gouernor there vsed in like sort as the Gouernor of Amboyna did the English and gaue him a modell and precedent of this processe which it will not bee amisse to relate briefly because this Authour in the next place alleadgeth the mercifull disposition of the Netherlands nation in generall to inferre thence that it is therefore vnlikely that their Gouernour at Amboyna was so cruell as is reported in England Polaroon one of the Islands of Banda was in possession of the English at the time of the treaty Anno 1619. and by the agreement was to remaine theirs After the treaty came vnto the Indies the Hollanders forbare publishing thereof in the Ilands of Banda vntill they had taken Polaroon But knowing that it must be restored again according to the treaty they first take all courses to make the Iland little or nothing worth they demolish deface the Buildings transplant the Nutmeg-trees plucking them vp by the roots and carrying them into their owne Ilands of Nera and of Poloway there to bee planted for themselues and at last finde a means to dispeople the Iland and to leaue it so as the English might make no vse of it worth their charge of keeping and that vpon this occasion There was a yong man the son of an Orankey or a Gentleman in Polaroon that had committed felony for which by the Lawes of his Country he was to die This fellow to saue his life ●…ed to another Iland of Banda called Rofinging and there turned Christian but quickly vnderstanding that that would not make him safe from punishment hee went back secretly to his owne Countrey of Polaroon and hauing lurked there a few daies tooke his passage for N●…ra another Iland where the Dutch haue a Fort and told the Dutch Gouernor that the Orankeys of Polaroon had conspired to massacre the Dutch as well at Polaroon as at Poloway with help of the people of Seran that should send ouer thirti●… Curricurries for that purpose Immediately vpon this indicium of this malefactor certaine Prows or Fisher-boats of the Polaroons that were fishing at Poloway were seized and the people made prisoners Command was sent by the Dutch Gouernor to Polaroon that the Orankeys should come ouer to him that there might be further inquisition made of this matter The Priest of the Polaroons and seuenty Orankeys instantly took a Prow or small vessell of their owne and imbarked themselues for Poloway As they were at sea and yet out of the sight of the Dutch Castle they were met by a Fisher-boat of Bandanezes and told how all the rest were apprehended and that if they went to Poloway they were all but dead men Neuerthelesse the Priest and the rest although they had space and means to haue escaped to Seran and other places safe enough from the Hollanders yet were so confident of their innocency that they would needs to Poloway to purge themselues Where as soon as they were arriued they were instantly carried prisoners to the Castle and withall the Gouernor with a force of two hundred men went presently for Polaroon whence hee fe●…ched all the rest of the Orankeys and bro●…ght them prisoners to the same Castle As soone as they were comne they were presently brought to the torture of water and fire euen in the same sort as our people were afterwards at Amboyna onely heerein differing that of those at Poloway two were so tortured that they died in their tortures the rest beeing one hundred sixty two persons were all vpon their own forced confessions condemned and executed The Priest when he came to the place of execution spake these words in the Mallaian Tongue All yee great and small rich and poor black and white look to it we haue committed no fault And when hee would haue spoken more he was taken by the hands feet laid along cut in two by the middle with a sword Forthwith the Gouernor caused the wiues children and slaues of those of Polaroon to be all carried out of the Iland and distributed in other Ilands subject to the Dutch and so haue made a cleer Country for the English where they may both plant and gather themselues destitute of the help of any of the Countrey-people without whom neither the English nor Hollanders can maintaine their trade in the Indies And yet this is not heer recited to the end thereby to charge the Neatherlands Nation with those cruell proceedings but the persons themselues that haue committed those barbarous tyrannies Who if wee shall beleeue an Author of their owne are not of the best of that Nation For the Maiores as this Author sayes vse the Indies as a Tucht house or Bridewell to manage their vnruly vnthrifty children kindred whom when they cannot rule order at home they send to the Indies where they are preferred to offices and places of gouernement Yea saith he they prefer such to be Fiscals there as neuer saw studie nor law So that it is no maruell that such

haue entred the Acts of this processe Well at last hee concludes the narration of the confessions with the summing vp of the number and nations of the parties that had thus confessed which he saith were ten Iapons foureteene English and the Neatherlandish Marnicho or Captaine of the Slaues By which last words hee would giue the Reader occ●…sion to thinke that the fact was so cleere and their owne proceeding so euen and iust that they had executed one of their owne Neatherlanders for it Which how true it is is already declared in the conclusio●… of the English Relation The truth is this Captaine of the Sla●…●…es was of the Portugall race and borne in Be●…gala His verie name Augustine Perez sheweth he wa●… no N●…therlander Hauing thus 〈◊〉 this relation this Authour proceedeth to a disputation and taking notice of some aspersions in England cast vpon these proceedings at Amboyna he diuideth them into two heads the one that the processe was without its due formalitie the other that there was excesse and extremiti●… vsed against the Conspirators For the point of formalitie he first taketh great paines to prooue that the formalities of processe in Amboyna are not therefore vnlawfull because they agree not with our forme in England Which labour he might haue spared for no wise man will deny him this point And such as shall be so ignorant as to blame the Dutch for varying from vs herein were not worthy the answering Herewithall also hee deduceth the title of the Lords States generall to the Soueraigntie of Amboyna and so the Gouernour of Amboynaes iurisdiction in causes as well criminall as ciuill to bee rightly grounded Thence he concludes tha●… the Iapons being sworne seruants to the Dutch and 〈◊〉 their pay were subiect to the iurisdiction of the Dutch Gouernor Then hee telleth vs that the Author and complices of murther and treason are by the lawes of all nations to be punished with d●…ath all which points may bee grant●…d him witho●… any preiudice to the cause of the English in this question At last he comes in partic●…lar to the●… case and a●…firms that the chiefe of the English there mig●… not apprehend the English complices of this conspiracy because themselues were complices of th●… f●…ct All which also may be gran●…d in t●…is po●… of 〈◊〉 in the point of cognisance shall bee anon in due place examined In the meane time this Author to make the point of apprehension cleere beyond exception saith that the English were not apprehended vpon the first suspicion when yet there was euidence and indicia sufficient to doe it but after the examination of all the Iapons and their ioynt confession that the English whom they specified by name and surname had moued aud hired them to this treason yea not vntill Abel Price had also confessed as much and that all the English in the out Factories were priuie thereunto For answer hereof that must be repeated which hath beene vpon other occasions before alleadged that the first beginning of the processe was by the torture there being no sufficienteuidence or indicium to torture the Iapon that onely sought to enforme himselfe of the course of the Watch and of the strength of the Castle wherein himselfe was a souldier and so the whole Series of the examination proceeding from the confession of one tortured person to apprehend and torture another without other euidence though it brought forth more confessions and those with name and surname and other circumstances according as the Interrogatories or rather directories of the Gouernour and Fiscall led the prisoners was wholly against the forme and rule of all lawes of tortures Scilicet in fabriea ●…i pra●…a est reg●…la prima Caeter a mendose fieri atqu●… obstipa necesse est But here must be answered an obiection that may be made against this from anothe●… part of this relation that is that some of the English confessed without or before torture yea this Price here m●…ntioned was either not tortured at all or very lightly Yea but he was shewed the tortured bodies of the poore Iapons martyred with fire and water and told that vnlesse he would confesse that which they told him they had first confessed he should be tortured as ill or worse than they This feare of torture is by their owne law equalled to the torture it selfe and consequently the confession thereupon made no better indicium or euidence to bring another man to the torture than the confession made vpon the racke it selfe Againe it must be here remembred that the very matter of Price his confession here mentioned to wit that all the English Merchants of the out Factories were priuie to the pretended treason was refuted by the processe of the Dutch themselues that found Powle Ramsey and two others of those Factories guiltlesse Next this Author taketh notice of an obiection made in England against the iurisdiction of the Dutch Gouernor and his Councell at Amboyna ouer the English there because this power is by the Treatie of the yeere 1619. disposed of and agreed to consist in the Councell of defence of both nations at Iaccatra For information in which point this Author saith he hath perused ouer all the seuerall articles of the said Treatie and findeth in the 23. article that the Fortresses were to remaine in the hands of them that then possessed them and in the thirteenth fourteenth and fifteenth that the Councell of defence hath no other power but onely ouer the Fleet of defence ouer the commerce and finally to taxe the charges of maintenance of the Forts But he could not see the thirtieth article which orders that all disputes that cannot be decided by the Councell of defence should bee remitted into Europ●… first to the two companies there and in default of their agreement to the King and States Why then was not this dispute so proceeded in There is nothing in the former articles to limit the Councell of defence and this generall article appeareth to bee added by way of ampliation to prouide for that which was not particularly and expresly ●…ared for in the former Which is most plaine by the words of the explanation vpon this thirtith article agreed vpon at the first and subscribed by the Commissioners on both sides An. 1619. where this course of proceeding is expresly directed not only in disputes about the meaning of the Articles but also about any other matter hapning in their common aboad Since which aso the Kings Maiestie hath vpon a smaller occasion than the life of his Subiects cleerly declared himself in the point of Soueraignty That both nations in the Indies should wholly lay aside all pretence thereof Which declaration was sent to the Lords States Generall and by them accepted before this bloody butchery was executed But if it were granted that the Hollanders are absolute Lords of their partners the English in those parts without respect to the Treatie yet at least the Hollanders in