Chap. II. between the Inhabitants 
6£ the Dutch , with the Englijh Merchants, made only a 
« League in the Manner of Commerce and Negotiati- 
« ons of Nutmegs, Mace, Cloves, and Pepper, in fome 
«« Quantities, without having any further Treaty or 
« Communication in the Land. So that without the 
« Bounds of this common Negotiation, every one re- 
st mained free and unhindered in the Land by the Right 
« and Poffeffion which either Company enjoyed and ex- 
« ercifed feverally, according as the fame appeareth out 
« of the twenty-third Article of the Treaty, where it is 
« exprefsly faid, that Caftles and Forts fhall remain in 
« their Hands who do at prefent poffefs them : And 
« out of the thirteenth, fourteenth, and fifteenth Arti- 
st cies of the Treaty, all may fee that this Common Coun- 
ts oil of Defence hath no more Power, fave only over 
ec the Fellowfhip of the Treaty, that is, over the Navy 
« of Defence in the Sea, to the Defence of common 
« Merchandize and Liberty of Commerce. ^ And, 
st laftly, to tax the Charges for the Provifion of Amu- 
sc nition in the Forts ; neither can any other Thing be 
« fincerely coliefted out of the faid Treaty, fo far as I 
“ can conceive. 
cc Therefore, this fecond Point is found to be untrue 
sc and abufive, being not founded upon the faid Treaty, 
cc which Treaty, notwithftanding, ought to be the only 
« Rule both of the one and the other Company. Finally, 
cc j t i s given out in England , that in the Examination of 
« the Confpirators, there was Excels in the Netherlands 
cs judges in the Point of Torture. I acknowledge, that 
« no Argument or Pretext againft the Jiiftice of this Ex- 
it edition, hath more moved me in the Beginning, than 
<c this Pretence of Excefs aforefaid ; becaufe this ftirreth 
« Chriftian Compaffion ; although I alfo judge, that wife 
« Men wijl not fuffer them-felves to be too much tranf- 
<c ported thereby, before the true Reafons do fully appear 
tc which fhould move us thereunto ; for I well remember 
«C yet, that in the Time of former Miftaking in the In- 
6£ dies, many Things were pretended on both Parts •, up- 
sc on which Pretence were great Out-cries on either Side, 
tc which yet, by due Examination, were found to be falfe 
<c Pretexts of fome IU-wiilers, and Men defirous to wran- 
«« crle ; which Pretences, being thoroughly fifted by the 
tc high and much-admired Wifdom of his Majelty, and 
tc the Lords the States, were well difeovered to be no 
tc fiich Matters as they were made ; as it is alfo undoubt- 
<c edly believed, that his Majefty and the States will yet 
<c further do in this Affair, and To the Caufe of the Dutch 
« Company may be rightly juftified, of which I under- 
cc Rand, that the Lords the States have fpecial Regard ; 
cc an( j that they have been thoroughly informed what is 
44 the very Truth of the Things there paft, and of the 
44 Execution in Amboyna of the Englijh Confpirators ; un- 
44 to which End the Lords the States refolved to fee and 
44 perufe all the Papers and Letters touching the faid Pro- 
44 ceedings. And now, thereupon. Men fpeak far other- 
44 wife than heretofore •, for Pretences and Cavils cannot 
44 Hand with Truth. And it doth plainly appear, that 
44 there is little Truth in the Matter of Torture, reported 
44 to be moft cruelly inflifted upon the Englijh Confpira- 
44 tors, as in England it is faid ; and I have ever fufpeft- 
44 ed this for a Slander; for, I know the Dutch Nation 
44 doth naturally abhor this kind of Cruelty, and are as 
44 much moved to Commiferation as any other People. 
44 But whether thefe evil-minded Men, who have fcat- 
44 tered this great Slander in England, and have fo fouly 
44 defaced a juft Caufe, have done it by Occafion of an 
44 Ufe of Tortures in thefe Lands in fome weighty Caufes, 
44 according to the Cuftom of moft Dominions in Europe , 
44 I cannot judge. 
44 But is that to be cerifured and judged to be unjuft of 
44 the whole World, which is repugnant to the Laws of 
44 England (or any one Natiori) where Torture is really 
44 ufed ? Nothing fo but the Juft ice or Injuftice of a Caufe 
44 muft be determined according to the Laws where it is 
44 done, and not of other Lands. If this were not fo, 
« why then ftiould not the whole World much more judge 
44 that as hard, and a thing unheard of, which in fome Cau- 
44 fes is ufed m England, according to the Laws there, when 
44 they proceeded againft fome guilty Perfons, who being 
of Great-Britain, &c. 88 7 
«' once, and again afked of the judge, and utterly refufi 
44 ing to be legally tried, is adjudged to be dumb, that 
44 is, by Contumacy, whole Condemnation then accord- 
44 ingly followeth, that he is laid upon a Table, or Plank, 
44 and another Plank upon him, that his Body is mifera- 
44 bly bruifed, and fo preffed violently to Death. The 
44 which, according to the Confeffion of all Nations, and 
44 by the Englijh Writers, is judged to be one of the moft 
44 fharp and fevere kinds of Deaths that can be invented 1 
44 yet cannot fuch an Execution be called cruel and un- 
44 lawful, when it is done in England , becaufe it is done 
44 according to the Laws of that Land, though Strangers 
44 lhall judge otherwife of it ; and in like Manner the En- 
44 glijh Nation cannot complain of the Torture which 
44 Evil-willers fay was ufed upon thefe Englijh Conlpira- 
44 tors in Amboyna , becaufe it was done according to the 
44 Laws of this Government, and is not unufual in Cafes 
44 of Treafon, neither with us, nor with any Nation in 
44 Europe. 
44 And for England itfelf, it is well known, and his 
44 moft excellent Majefty doth acknowledge, by his own 
44 princely Pen, that the Rack and the Manicles are^ the 
44 only Tortures that are exercifed upon Traitors, to force 
44 them to confefs what they know to be dangerous to 
44 the State; and to fay the Truth, without taking Parts, 
44 the Englijh- Confpirators being affronted with the uni- 
44 form and written Confeffions of the eleven Japonefe , 
44 their Accomplices, which would convince them iufttci- 
44 ently, according to the Laws, and find them guilty of 
44 the fame Confpiracy, and confequeritly of Death; if 
44 now notwithftanding this, they had per fifted in the 
44 ftout Denial of the Faft, were not this enough to judge 
44 them dumb by Contumacy, and fo to efteem them 
44 worthy of this fore Punifhment of preffing to Death as 
44 aforefaid ? But this Torture of ours, is to be judged far 
44 lefs than that preffing where the Malefaftor doth fuffer 
44 fuch extream Mifery as cannot be imagined, and which 
44 is not to be lenefied or eafed at all, but ended by 
“ Death. 
44 But to the Efficient Satisfaftion of myfelf, and your 
44 Worffiip, and all Men, and not to fpeak according to 
44 the Sentences and Conferences of others, I have ufed 
44 all Diligence to get into my Hands the written Procefs 
44 concerning the Confpirators in Amboyna , which I ob- 
44 tained authentically, and read carefully, and I find, that 
44 all by me above faid is confirmed, to wit, that the 
44 Japonefe Accomplices were examined and made their 
44 Confeffions as aforefaid, for three Days, viz. the 23d, 
44 24th and 25th of February 1623 ; and that all this be- 
44 ing done and confummated before, then at laft is Ga- 
44 briel fowerfon , firft with the reft of the Englijh Accom- 
44 plices, imprifoned the faid 25th of February, when 
44 their Examination and Confeffion began, and conti- 
44 nued divers Days, without ever haftening till the 3d of 
44 March ; and the faid Examinations and Confeffions be- 
44 ing fo finifhed,the Netherlander s Governor and Council 
44 deliberated whether the Punifhment might be deferred 
44 to any long Time, or referred to any other Place ; but 
44 it was fo concluded, by joint Confent of all, that the 
44 faid Puniffiment there deferved, muft be executed in 
44 the fame Place for Example ; and that it could not in 
44 any wife be delayed without extream Danger, for Rea- 
44 Tons there related : And, among others, becaufe the 
44 T arnatans and Indians about Amboyna had, otherwife 
44 than they were wont, rebelled ; neither could it be fur- 
44 ther known what great Confederacy thefe Confpirators 
44 had made with them and others. 
44 And touching any extraordinary and cruel Torture, 
44 I have accurately looked over every ones Confeffion ; 
44 but I find not one Word in any one, which maketh any 
44 Mention of fuch Torture,- as is unjullly fpoken of in 
44 England ; nay, fcarce find any Mention of that ordi- 
44 nary Torture which is in Ufe, fave only thefe Words ; 
44 in one Aft of the 25th of February 1623, viz . the 
44 Council being gathered -together, have thought meet 
44 that all the Englijh fhould be prefently examined, one 
46 after another, as accordingly it was inftantly done-, and 
44 fome of them before any Torture Others, after a little, 
46 or rather a Touch of it, Gonfeffed as followeth. Unto 
which 
