Portal:Anonymous texts

“ That Order amongst Men, and that Unity in Religion depending absolutely on Divine Providence, who could as easily introduce it into the World, as the diversity of Sects that in all times have been establisht in it; ought not one to think, that the true God takes as great pleasure to be honoured by different Worships and Ceremonies, as to be glorify'd by a prodigious number of Creatures, that praise him every one in their own way? ”

“ It was matter of exceeding Joy to him, to have found an able, faithful, and industrious Person, on whom he might repose the Cares of his place. The Barcalon dying not long after the King, would needs put Monsieur Constance in his place, but he declin'd it, and told his Majesty, That that Post would create to him the Envy of all the great Men, and therefore besought him not to raise him higher than he was, for that was the utmost Boundary of his Ambition, accounting himself happy enough, in that he stood fair in his Favours. ”

“ The King of Siam had several Troops of Guards about his Person, whereof one was made up of Europeans of different Nations, but especially of the French. The Siams's Troop of Guards, consisting of 150 Men, was Commanded by French Officers; these were sent to Thalapson, a House of Pleasure the King had at some distance from Louvo, whither Opra Pitrachard had sent a great Body of the Forces to Encamp, and be in a readiness as occasion should present. ”

“ For could not the true God, that created the Heavens and the Earth, and all things that are therein, and hath given them so different Natures and Inclinations, when he gave to Men like Bodies and Souls, if he had pleased, have also inspired into them the same Sentiments for that Religion they ought to follow, and for that Worship which was most acceptable to him, and make all Nations live and die in the same Laws? ”

“ Now that I am talking of Presents, nothing could be more Magnificent, than those that the King of Siam sent to the French King in the Year 1685, valued at above Sixty thousand pounds: And, in Requital, the French King sent to the King of Siam of the Manufacture of France, in Rich Brocards, Looking-Glasses, Watches, Cloaks, and other valuable Things, to the value of above 300000 Crowns ”

“ On the 7th of July, the Mandarins made me go for Siam in the company of a French Soldier call'd Picquard, who had the misfortune to be made a Prisoner the same day that Monsieur de Braham made his Retreat from Morgen; and tho' we were but two Men, and both in Chains, yet such was the mistruft they entertain'd of us, that they would needs send above Sixty Soldiers to guard us thither. ”

“ Opra Pitrachard having dispatched the King's two Brothers, and adopted Son, who were the only Princes that stood in his way to the Crown, caused the young Princess, the King's only Daughter, to be taken and thrust into a large velvet Sack, and her Brains to be knockt out with great Bars of the sweet and so much esteem'd Wood in all the Indies call'd Aquila and Calamboar; and then thrown into the River, it being accounted a prophane thing, and a violation of the Sacred Respect due to a Princess of the Royal Blood of Siam, to be put to Death in the usual manner that others are ”

“ Next Morning I was informed by a Missionary Priest, who accidentally discovered the place where I was kept Prisoner, that the Bishop of Metellopolis was gone to Bancock, by the express command of Opra Pitrachard, to negotiate a Treaty of Peace with Monsieur des Farges our General, and that they were in daily expectation of hearing of the conclusion of it. ”

“ He never signs his Name in any Letters he writes; the Metal on which his Letters are writ, and which none else in his Kingdom is allow'd to use but himself, is accounted an authentick and unquestionable Proof that the Letters are the Kings. ”

“ The next day Opra Pitrachard sent for Monsieur Constance to come to him, and ordered him to go and tell the French Officers that there was no design of keeping them Prisoners, that what was done was occasioned by a most dangerous Plot that they had lately discovered against the Life of the King, but that all the Parties concern'd in it not being as yet fully known, they were under the necessity of securing all Persons of Note, until a clearer discovery should be made ”

“ As for the French that were at Siam and Louvo, he made no open Assault upon them at first, because their numbers were too considerable to be treated as the rest were; and besides he was willing rather to sursprize those that were at Bancock and at Morgen, then openly to attack them. The most considerable Persons of the French Nation that were at Thalapson, were the Chevaliers de Cargis, and de Fretteville, Monsieur de Vandrille, Mounsieur de Laiffe, Mounsieur Bresley, the Ingineer, and another Ingineer ”

“ His Lady, after having undergone a severe Examination, and several Interrogatories put to her, without declaring or confessing what they expected or desired, was at last appli'd to the Torture, which the endured several days together; after which they threw her into Prison, where she was kept three Months with Iron Chains on her Hands, and Fetters on her Feet; at the end whereof they made her and all her Family Slaves, in which disgraceful Quality they took off her Irons, open'd the Prison Doors, and turn'd her out. ”

“ And when I had told them all that I thought proper for them to know upon that matter, the Mandarins that Commanded in the Army that besieged the Fort, gave orders to put me to the Torture, to force me to declare and make information, that I had often heard Monsieur de Bruham say, That his being and commanding at Morgen was altogether unknown to the King of Siam, and by the order of Monsieur Constance only, on purpose to make himself Master of the Countrey ”

“ Wherefore he sent one Manpui, who had been the year before in France, in Quality of first Ambassador, and since his return was honour'd with the title of Barcalon, or Chief Minifter of State, to Bancock, to perswade Monsieur des Farges General of the French to come to him, and to tell him that it was the King's express pleasure that he should immediately come and confer with him about some Affairs of the last importance, and make what haste he possibly could to be at Louvo. ”

“ And the truth on't is, they were treated the first day with kindness and civility enough; but it was not so the next, for they strip'd them of all, and ti'd them to Horse-Tails, in which miserable condition they forc'd them to march, and in great Ceremony brought them back to Louvo, treating them most outragiously all along as they went, in so much that Monsieur Bresley the Ingineer dy'd soon after, and the rest had much ado to outlive the Miseries and Indignities they suffered. ”