Stilo novo being Sunday aboard the Rotterdam lyin Irons UNderstand that I Samuel Colson late Factour of Hitto was apprehended for suspicion of conspiracie and for any thing I know must die for it wherefore having no better means to make my innocencie known have writ this in this book hoping some good English men will see it I do here upon my salvation as I hope by his death and passion to have redemption for my sins that I am clear of all such conspiracie neither do I know any English man guilty thereof nor other creature in the World As this is true God bless me Sam. Colson On the other side upon the first page of the Chatechism is thus written IN another leaf you shall understand more which I have written in this book Sam. Colson In the beginning of the Psalms and in the leaf so referred unto is thus written viz. THe Iapons were taken with some villany and brought to examination being most tyrannously tortured were asked if the English had any hand in theâ—â—â—lot VVhich torture made them say Yea. Then was Master Tomson M. Johnson M. Collins John Clark brought to examination and were burned under the arms arm-pits the hands and soals of the feet with another most miserable torment to drink water some of them almost tortured to death and were forced to confess that which they never knew by reason of the torment which flesh and bloud is not able to endure Then were the rest of the English men called one by one amongst which I was one being wished to confess or else I must go to torment withall caused M. Johnson who was before tormented to witness against me or else be should be tormented again which rather than he would endure he said VVhat they would have be would speak Then must I confess that I never knew or else to go to torment which rather than I would suffer I did confess that which as I shall he saved before God Almightie is not true being forced for fear of torment Then did they make us witnesse against Captain Towerson and at last made Captain Towerson confess all being for fear of most cruel torment for which we must all die As I mean and hope to have pardon for my sins I know no more than the child unborn of this business VVritten with my own hand the first of March Stilo novo Sam. Colson Yet in another page were these words I VVas born in New-Castle upon Tyne where I desire this book may come that my friends may know of my innocencie Sam. Colson This book he delivered to one that served the Hollanders who sowed it up in his bed and afterward at his opportunity delivered it to M. VVelden before named All these said writings are yet extant under the hands of the several parties well known to their friends here in England The six and twentieth of February Stilo veteri the Prisoners were all brought into the great Hall of the Castle except Captain Towerson Emanuel Tomson to be prepared for death by the ministers The Iaponeers now all in general as some of them had done before in particular cryed out unto the English saying Oh you English men where did we ever in our lives eat with you talk with you or to our remembrance see you The English answered Why then have you accused us The poor men perceiving they were made believe each had accused others before they had so done indeed shewed them their tortur'd bodies and said If a stone were thus burnt would it not change his nature how much more we that are flesh and bloud Whil'st they were all in the Hall Cap. Towerson was brought up into the place of examination and two great Jarres of water carried after him What he there did or suffered was unknown to the English without but it seemeth they made him then to underwrite his confession After supper John Powl Ephraim Ramsey Th. Ladbrook and Iohn Sadler who were found not guily as aforesaid were taken from the rest and put into another room By and by also were Samuel Colson and Edward Collins brought from the rest into the room where Emanuel Tomson lay The Fiscal told them it was the Governours mercie to save one of them three and it being indifferent to him which of them were the man it was his pleasure they should draw lots for it which they did and the free lot fell to Edward Collins who then was carried away to the Chamber where John Powl and the rest that were quit lodged and Samuel Colson back into the Hall Anon also John Beomont was brought out of the Hall into the Chamber where John Powl and the rest of the acquitted persons were and was told that he was beholding to Peter Iohnson the Dutch Merchant of Lobo and to the Secretarie for they two had begged his life So then there remained in the Hall ten of the English for Captain Towerson Emmanuel Tomson as is said before were kept in several rooms apart from the rest To these that remained in the Hall came the Dutch Ministers who telling them how short a time they had to live admonished and exhorted them to make their true confessions for it was a dangerous and desperate thing to dissemble at such a time The English still professed their innocencie and prayed the Ministers that they might all receive the Sacraments as a seal of the forgiveness of their sins and withall thereby to confirm their last profession of their innocencie But this would by no means be granted Whereupon Samuel Colson said thus unto the Ministers You manifest unto us the danger of dissimulation in this case But tell us if we suffer guiltless being other wise also true believers in Christ Jesus What shall be our reward The Preacher answered By how much the clearer you are so much the more glorious shal be your resurrection With that word Colson started up imbraced the Preacher gave him his purse with such money as he had in it saying Domine God bless you tell the Governour I freely forgive him and I intreat you to exhort him to repent him of his bloudy tragedy wrought upon us poor innocent souls Here all the rest of the English signified their consent to this Speech Then spake John Fardo to the rest in presence of the Ministers as followeth My Countrey-men and Brethren all that are here with me coÌ„demned to die I charge you all as you will answer it at Gods judgement seat if any of you be guilty of this matter whereof we are condemned discharge your consciences and confess the truth for satisfaction of the World Hereupon Samuel Colson spake with a loud voice saying According to my innocencie in this treason so Lord pardon all the rest of my sins and if I be guilty thereof more or less let me never be partaker of thy heavenly joyes At which words every one of the rest cried out Amen for me Amen for me good Lord. This done each
taking of the Castle was held then he the said Beomont was present Beomont denied it with great earnestness and deep Oaths At last being triced up and drenched with water till his inwards were ready to crack he answered affirmatively to all the Fiscals interrogatories yet as soon as he was let down he clearly demonstrated to Captain Newport and Iohnson a Dutch Merchant then also present that these things could not be so Nevertheless he was forced to put his hand to his confession or else he must to the torture again which to avoid he subscribed and so had a great iron bolt and two shackles riveted to his legs and then was carried back to prison After this George Sharrock George Sharrock examined Assistant at Hitto was called in question who seeing how grievously others were martyred made his earnest prayer to God as since upon his Oath he hath acknowledged that he would suffer him to make some such probable lies against himself as the Dutch might believe and so he might escape the torment Being brought to the Rack the water provided and the candles lighted he was by the Governour and Fiscal examined and charged with the conspiracie He fell upon his knees and protested his innocencie Then they commanded him to the Rack and told him Unless he would confess he should be tormented with fire and water to death and then should be drawn by the heels to the gallows and there hanged up He still persisting in this his innocencie the Fiscal bad him be hoised up Then he craved respite a while and told them that he was at Hitto and not in Amboyna upon New-years day when the consultation was pretended neither had been there since November before as was well known to sundry of the Hollanders themselves that resided there also with him Hereupon they commanded him again to the Rack but he craving respite as before now told them that he had many times heard Iohn Clark who was with him at Hitto say That the Dutch had done them many unsufferable wrongs and that he would be revenged of them to which end he had once broken with Captain Towerson of a brave Plot. At which word the Fiscal and the rest were attentive encouraging him to proceed So he went on saying that John Clark had intreated Captain Towerson that he might go to Maccasser there to consult and advise with the Spaniards to come with Gallies and rob the small Factories of Amboyna and Seran when no ships were there Here they asked him what Captain Towerson said to this He answered that Captain Towerson was very much offended with Clark for the motion and from thenceforth could never abide him Hereupon the Fiscal called him Rogue and said he prated all from the matter should go to the torture He craved favour again and began another tale to wit that upon Twelf-day then last past John Clark told him at Hitto that there was a practise to take the Castle of Amboyna and asked him whether he would consent thereunto Whereupon he demanded of Clark whether Captain Towerson knew of any such matter Which Clark affirming then he the said Sharrock said that he would do as the rest did Then the Fiscal asked him what time the consultation was held He answered In November last The Fiscal said That could not be for the consultation was upon New-yerrs day The Prisoner said as before in the beginning that he had not been in Amboyna since the first of December till now that he was brought thither Why then quoth the Fiscal have you belied your self whereto the Prisoner resolutely answered that all that he had spoken touching any treason was false and feigned onely to avoid torment Then went the Fiscal out into another room to the Governour and anon returned and sent Sharrock unto the Prison again The next day he was called again and a writing presented him wherein was framed a formal confession of his last conference with Clark at Hitto touching the plot to take the Castle of Amboyna which being read over to him the Fiscal asked him whether it were true or no. He answered No Why then said the Fiscal did you confess it He answered For fear of Torment The Fiscal and the rest in a great rage told him he lied his mouth had spoken it and it was true and therefore he should subscribe it Which as soon as he had done he fell presently into a great passion charging them bitterly to be guiltie of the innocent bloud of himself and the rest which they should look to answer for at the day of Judgement withall he grappled with the Fiscal and would have stopped him from carrying in the confession to the Governour with whom he also craved to speak but was instantly laid hold on and carried away to prison William Webber William Webber examined being next examined was told by the Fiscal that John Clark had confessed him to have been at Amboyna on New-years day and sworn to Captain Towerson's plot c. All which he denied alledging he was that day at Larica yet being brought to the torture he then confessed he had been at the consultation at Amboyna upon New-years day with all the rest of the circumstances in order as he was asked He also further told them he had received a letter from Iohn Clark after which was a Postscript excusing his brief writing at that time for that there was great business in hand But one Renier a Dutch Merchant then standing by told the Governour that upon New-years day the time of this pretended consultation Webber and he were merrie at Larica So the Governour left him and went out But the Fiscal held on upon the other point touching the Postscript of Clark's Letter urging him to shew the same Which when he could not do though often terrified with the torture he gave him respite promising to save his life if he would produce that Letter Then was Captain Towerson brought to the examination Gabriel Towerson examined and shewed what others had confessed of him He deeply protesting his innocencie Samuel Colson was brought to confront him who being told that unless he would now make good his former confession against Captain Towerson he should to the torture coldly re-affirmed the same and so was sent away They also brought William Grigs John Fardo to justifie their former confessions to his face Captain Towerson seriously charged them that as they would answer it at the dreadfull day of Judgement they should speak nothing but the truth Both of them instantly fel down upon their knees before him praying him for Gods sake to forgive them saying further openly before them all that whatsoever they had formerly cōfessed was most false and spoken onely to avoid torment With that the Fiscal the rest offered them again to the torture which they would not endure but then affirmed their former confessions to be true When Colson who had accused Captain Towerson before was required
the strength of the aid he might expect if any sudden attempt should happen in his quarter is easily to be judged And how this poor man and the rest of his Countrey-men were tortured appeareth in the English relation Here also is concealed by what manner and kind of questions this and the other Japons were led along in their confessions to make up the plot just as the Dutch had devised it as also what other answers they made before they were thus directed That they and the English both confessed what the Dutch would have them is no doubt nor wonder being so tormented and feared with torture etiam innocentes cogit mentiri dolor But what likelyhood or possibilitie there is of the truth of their confessions if yet they confessed as is here related may appear by that which hath been alreadie discoursed in this point towards the end of the English Relation which for brevities sake is here forborn to be repeated yet some circumstances which the Dutch Relation hath more than the English deserve here to be examined And first that of Abel Price the English Barber who is made the messenger and negotiator of this practice with the Japons It is true that he and he alone of all the English had some kind of conversation with some of the Japons that is he would dice and drink with them as he likewise did with other Blacks and with the Dutch also But is it credible that Mr. Towerson would commit any thing of moment nay so dangerous a matter as this to a drunken debauched sot who also as the English that were there constantly report threatned to cut his the said Towerson's throat for that he had punished him for his misdemeanours Further this Relation maketh this Abel Price confess that all the English Merchants in the out-Factories were privy and accessarie to this pretended treason Yet the Governour and Fiscal in in their own process found John Powel Ephraim Ramsey and two other guiltless After Price his confession he sets down the general substance of all the confessions in one hody where first having assigned M. Towerson a preface to the rest to induce them to the exploit he tells us that they made doubt of the point of possibility as well they might knowing the weakness of their own part impregnable strength of the Dutch in comparison of theirs for satisfaction of which their doubt he saith M. Towerson told him that he had already won the Japons within the Castle to his purpose and that he would attempt this matter not when the Dutch were at their full strength and the English at the weakest but would expect till the Governour should be somewhere abroad upon some exploit and some English Ships or Ship at least at Amboyna the people whereof he would use in the enterprize Likewise he would send for the Factors and slaves of the other Factories and should have a supply from the Ternatans of Lobo of certain Curricurries c. Here he hath inrolled a goodly army for this action but let us see the manner how they should have executed their exploit and first for the Japons in the Castle we must believe if this Authour or his voucher say true that Master Towerson had acquainted those and won them to his plot before he had imparted it to his own Countrey-men the English And yet in the acts of the process Emanuel Tomson is recorded to have confessed that 8. dayes after the consultation Master Towerson told him that he had then sent out Johnson and Price to treat with the Japons and win their consent to this enterprize But what should these being all but ten have done Marrie saith the relation by and by Mr. Towerson had ordeined that eight of them should have been bestowed by two in a company upon the four points of the Castle to kill all those that would resist them and to take the rest Prisoners It must be therefore here imagined that the Dutch and their Mardikers in their Castle being three or four hundred would scorn to take the advantage of sending fortie or fiftie much more of an entire company to any point of the Castle but would combate with the Japons at even hand by two at a time and so give the Japons leave and respite to kill or take them by two and by two A sweet conceit and such a service as perhaps hath been sometimes represented upon a stage but never acted in surprise of a Castle in good earnest Thus we see how eight of the Japons were to be imployed what should the other two have done forsooth they should have waited in the great chamber to murder the Governour Yea but this relation told us yer while that this plot should have been executed when the Governour was abroad upon some action How then should these two Japons have killed him in the Castle at the same time But we see how all the Japons that is all the pretended party of the English within the Castle should have been occupied Who should have opened the gates to the English and their other aids who should have killed the Court of guard at the Gate These parts were left for them that were without therefore let us take a review of them what they were The Relation mustereth them to be fourteen English whereof eleven were Merchants one Steward of the house one Tailor and one Barber to dress the wounded besides God knows how many English shippers Slaves and Ternatans First for the English Merchants of what dexteritie they are to take Forts is easily judged and in all the English house when it was seized by the Dutch upon this pretended Treason the whole Provision was but three Swords two Hand-guns and about half a pound of Powder Yea but the English ship or ships would have brought both fitter men and better provision But how knew Master Towerson that those of the English ships when they came would joyn with him in this work being so contrary to the Treaty and it self so dangerous or why did he not stay the opening of the Plot till this ship or ships were come that he might swear the shippers also or at least the chief Officers amongst them and take their advice Is it possible that Master Towerson was so slight as to open his plot to all the English at Amboyna yea to the Tailor and Barber so long before it was to be put in execution and before he knew the minds of his chiefest assistants of whose arrival he was so uncertain Yea but he was sure of the Slaves of the English and of the Ternatans of Lobo with their Curricurries in quemlibet eventum This indeed is the remainder of the Army let us view them The Slaves were in all the English Factories just six in number and all boys The Ternatans were Enemies as well to the English as to the Dutch as is before shewed in answer to the Preface When were they reconciled how cometh it that in all the