first Establishment in the Eaft Indies. filled the throne of this kingdom, to D F In the full career of trade, while the war yet raged in the bowels of their country, 700 of their merchant ships were stopped in the Sound, by order of the king of Denmark. As these were moitly laden with corn, and naval and military stores, the deftruction of the provinces must now have been inevitable but for the mediation of the English government. The ships were releafed upon the Queen of England's reprefentation, and that famine prevented, which otherwife must have completed their ruin. Yet all these eminent fervices could neither reprefs their infolence, nor filence their complaints, when her majelty, wearied' with the war, and impaired in her health by the troubles of her reign, was graciously pleated to fignify her royal pleasure to give peace to her people by a treaty with Spain. Murmurs were then every where heard throughout the provinces; the caufe of God and the caufe of man was deferted by the English; the English were reprefented as a faithlefs people, on whole promifes no nation could rely; all obligations were cancelled, and all henetits forgotten; yet, under the H mask of friendship, their ambailadors continued to implore her majesty's powerful patronage, and by emiffa. Ties, bribes, and treacherous in G 309 finuations they urged on the continuance of the war, because at the end of it their matters had engaged to repay her majesty the whole expence. In this war, fays an author of credit. the treafures of England were exhaufted, the people impoverished, and the foldiery diminished, more than 106,000 of them having fallen in defence of the States, while thofe for whom they were fighting made a traffic of the war, and enrich'd themfelves by furnishing at a high price the neceffaries to carry it on. The death of the Queen in 1603, feems to have put an end for a while to that effufion of blood, and confumption of treasure that had thus been lavished in upholding a rebellious and turbulent people. The pacific difpofition of James the firft, tho' it thwarted the views of the States, yet it did not intimidate them. By the indulgence of Elizabeth, and the induftrious application of their own people to the improvement of their marine, their naval power was arrived at fuch a height as to alarm all Europe. They gained many fignal vi&ories over their enemies both in the Eaft and Weft-Indies, and they refused to treat with the Spaniards on the footing of fubjects; they were therefore, by the powerful interpofition of king James, in 1609, declared a free Republic. They then affumed a different ftyle to what they had hitherto affected to ufe; the poor diftreffed flates were all at once converted into high and mighty lords; their navies covered the ocean; the East and Weft-Indies were crowded with their colonies, and wherever they planted their ftandards, it was death and torture to attempt oppofition. The herring-fithery, that was at first granted them by licenfe, they now claimed of right, and the advantage they made of it is almoft beyond belief*. As their obligations were great to England, one would have thought, friendship for Englishmen would naturally have taken place in their minds. The profeffions of their fuperiors were indeed dutiful, but let us attend to the trim of their people. On the difcovery of the New World commerce took a new turn. Perfons of fortune, and perfons of enterprize, became equally adventurers in trade. Thofe who were too indolent or too ti 310 Conduct of the Dutch from their ‹ A charters during its continuance, which was ftipulated for twenty years. All difputes were to be adjusted by a council of defence eftablifhed at Java, then called faccatra, and composed of members of both nations; and where the matter was too high for them to decide, it was to be referred to his Britannic majefty, and the lords the States General. This treaty was ratified July 16, 1619. In confequence of thefe ftipulations, the island of Amboyna in the ju Bridiction of Java, was garrifoned by morous to rove abroad, embarked their money, while thole who were more active & more brave, h ́zarded their lives in eftablishing boards of commerce throughout the world. Where the rifque was too great for private purfes, companies of men combined in one common intereft, & contributed their quotas to carry traffic to its utmoft extent. On this principle the trade to the Eaft Indies was carried on in England and in Holland. Charters were granted, and extenfive privileges were yielded by fovereign authority to thefe companies, and both began their govern. Iment abroad about the fame year' The English, by pacific meafures, won the natives to their obedience, and as they fufpected no injury nor oppofition from their European friends, they promised themselves the enjoyment of a quiet trade without the horrors of war, or the effufion of human blood. The C Dutch, on the other hand, being at war with the Spaniards, obtained fettlements by conqueft, and where they poffeffed themfelves of the enemies forts, they exacted the fame obedience from the natives that they were wont to pay to their lords the Spaniards. This, in time, embroiled the companiest, who foon became the only rivals for the trade in the Eaft; and to reconcile them, a treaty was fet on foot in Europe, by which it was agreed, that all paft offences on either fide hould be forgotten, that both companies fhould trade freely upon their own stock, but with a mutual regard to each other's intereft; that the price of pepper, and other fpices, fhould be amicably fettled between them; that the Molucca islands, together with thofe of Banda and Ambayna, fhould belong to the Englife and Dutch, but F in fuch a manner that the English fhould have but one third of the trade, and the Dutch the other two; that the expence of the fortifications fhould be defrayed in the fame proportion; that the fortreffes fhould every where remain in the hands of thofe that then poffeffed them; that those that were occupied by both fhould be garrisoned by both; and that for the future the whole trade of the Indies fhould be free to both nations. To render this treaty more effectual, their respective fovereigns confented to grant no other I D The the Dutch, but the English had three factories chablished in it for the purchafe of cloves, one at Amboyna, the capital city, one at Hits, and one at Larica; and befides there, on an adja cent point of land in the neighbouring ifland of Seran, they had two more factories, one at Lobo, the other at Cambello; and at all these factories there might be about twenty English with their flaves and fervants. Elifb at Ambona dwelt at a house of their own in the town; the caftle was occupied by the Dutch, and garrisoned with 200 foldiers of their own nation, befides Japonefe, Mardykers, and others, to the number of 300 more, who were always ready to be muttered, but who followed different employments, being a kind of militia that were to be called forth on emergent occafions. For about two years the Dutch and EnEglish continued to live together as the treaty directed, during which time several differences arofe between them, the English complaining that the Dutch did not only needletly enhance the expences of the forts and garrifons, and charge unreasonable reckonings to the common account, but that they paid the garrifon with provifions and cloth from Coromandel at more than three times the prime coft, without allowing the Englijb any part of the profits, by which unjust proceedings theEn glife paid more than two thirds of the. neat charge, though their quota was only one third. Thefe complaints G were heard before the council of defence at Java, but not being decided there, reference was had to the courts in Europe, and while the matter was in fufpence, a fword was found at Amboy na to cut in funder the knot which could not be untied at Java, and which ended at once the content and the cause of it. About the 11th of February a Japa nefe foldier in the Dutch fervice being on the watch in the caflle, was more than first Eftablishment in the Eaft Indies. 311 that confeflion as evidence against than ordinarily inquifitive about the ftate of the garrifon, and the ftrength of it, and asked his fellow foldier feveral questions to that effect, which being reported to the governor, the fellow was apprehended and put to the torture, other Japanese likewise, to the A number of eleven, were likewife apprehended, and put to the torture, and after three days the En-' glifb in the factories already mentioned, to the number of 18 perfons, were' apprehended likewife, and all put to the torture except four; the pretence B was, that these 18 Englishmen had confpired with the Japanese, in number about zo more, to furprize the garrifon, kill the governor, and make them-, felves mafters of the fort and town; the torture was to draw from them a confeffion of their guilt, and it was fuch that no human beings could en-clated; a painting of which was, by X dure. The manner of it was this; the unhappy victim was extended on a large broad door, his hands drawn as' wide from each other as they could' be ftretched by cords paffed through rings fixed in the door pufts for that purpose, and his feet drawn afunder in the fame manner; then a cloth was bound about his neck fo clofe, that little or no water could go by; and that done, water was poured foftly upon his head till the cloth was full above his noftrils, fo that he could not fetch breath, but he muft, at the fame time, draw in water, which being till con- E tinued to be poured foftly on his head, forced all his inward parts to come out of his nofe, ears, and eyes, and often, as it were, choaking him, bro't him to a fwoon; then taking him quickly down, they recovered him a little, hoisted him up again, and poured the water as before, and if then F he confessed nothing, his tormentois were ordered to burn him with lighted torches held to the bottoms of his feet until the fat that dropped out extinguished the torches, then to apply fresh lights to the palms of his hands and his elbows, and to burn him under the arm-pits till his entrails might be seen; and one of them bore the torture fo refolutely before he would acknowledge crimes of which he was innocent, that they folit his toes with rough irons, and applied the torches, and when all would not do, they opened his breaft, and put gunpowder into the incifion, and then fired it off; after which, being under the agonies of unutterable mifery, he confeffed whatever they would have him, and they bro't G H order of the Eaft India company, hung ny * 312 Cruelties in France and Geneva on Account of Religion. ny fuch hardynefs either of the English or others, that so few perfons, lo naked of all provifions and fupplies *, fhould undertake fuch an adventure upon a counter-party fo well and abundantly fitted and provided in all points as the Dutch then were. ty of Geneva an honour it did not de ferve. They performed Caffandra on my stage at Ferney agreeable to your taste. The grave and auftere mini-, iters did not dare to appear there, but they fent their daughters. I faw both A men and women melt into tears; and indeed never was piece fo well per formed. Afterwards a fupper for 200 fpectators, and a grand ball. This is the manner I have my revenge, as often as can, of these good people. The companies trade to the EaftIndies now began every where to decline. The treaty of 1619 already mentioned, that was intended by K. James to add strength and vigour to it, by the unjuft and arbitrary proceedings of the Dutch, proved almoft its utter ruin. g By a laufe in the above act, the council of defence were to provide a requifite number of fhips of force of both nations, that were to be employed for the common profit and the common fecurity; but thefe, the Dutch, affuming the fupreme direction, as being poffeffed of the fupreme power, ever turned to their own intereft, for while. the joint forces were employed to give the enemy work in one part, the Dutch contrived a private expedition of their own to another, by which the English were always fure to be at half the expence of fubduing the enemy, D while the Dutch took care to reap the whole advantage of plundering him. Wearied out, at length, with thefe injuries and severities, the English company abandoned the fpice iflands, one after another, till at length the Dutch C At Tholoufe they lately hanged one of their preachers: this rendered them a little more gentle. But one of their. brethren is juft now broke upon the wheel, being falfely accufed of having hanged his fon out of fpite to our holy religion; to which, as fuppofed, the good father fufpected his fon had a fecret inclination.. Thouloufe, more foolish yet, more fanatic than Geneva, deemed the hanged youth a martyr. They never thought of examining if he had hanged himfelf, according to the pious cuftom of the fage children of Albion: They buried him, however, pompously: The parliament was prefent at the ceremony bare-footed. The new faint was. invoked: After which, the court, for criminal affairs, by a plurality of voices, eight against fix, fentenced the fa- ! ther to be broke on the wheel. This judgement was fo much the more catholic, as there was no proof against engroffed the whole trade to them- E him. He was a good citizen, and a Tfelves. [To be continued.] . Letter from M. Voltaire to M, d'Alembert, complaining of the Cruelties exercifed in France, and at Geneva, on Account of Religion. Cafle de Ferney, June 29, 1762. My very dear, and very great Philofopher, 10 you have finished the reading of that impertinent little libel, of that impertinent little rogue of a prieft, who has been fo often at my country houfe, and been there made fo much of. The journal of the Encyclopedia, the best of his works,, iswhat preferves that crackling, frittering morfel from starving. Thus you fee, my dear friend, that the Prefbyterians are not a bit better than the Jefuits; and that thefe do not deserve to beg their bread more than the Ja: fenifts. You have done to the little dirty ci At the feizure of the English factory, the military ftores there found, were three fwords, two muskets, and half a pound of powder, F G H prolific father, having had five children, including him that was hanged.. He bemoaned, in his dying hours, his executed fon; and, under each stroke of the wheel, protefted his own innocence: He cited the parliament to the tribunal of God! All the heretic Cantons, all Chriftian hearts cry out aloud against this execution! All pronounce us a na tion as barbarous as we are frivolous; that knows how to torture and cut capers-but have forgot how to fight; thalomew to a comic opera; and are that can go from a maffacre of St Barbecome the horror and contempt of all Europe. What an age do we live in! It is the dregs of all ages. What minifters what generals! what nobility what nation! We are immerfed in debauchery and in infamy; Court and city are all one: Citizens, courtiers, priefts, women, all are proffitutes. It is a gulph of meannefs and preftitution! I am forry for it; for we were formed to be agreeable ftage-, Account of Periodical Papers. but ltage-dancers, fitted to divert I promife you, my friend, not to go to Geneva, because only finall fools and petty tyrants dwell there ;-nor to Thoulouse, because they have none but knaves, fools, and fanatics ;-nor to Paris, because, very soon, none but whores, rogues, and beggars will live there.. For God's fake, and for the fake of that little God Humanity, which fill just vegetates, but with little regard, on earth, be pleafed to make as execrable as you can that barbarous and fhocking fanaticifm that has condem med a father for hanging his fon, or that has broke on the wheel an innocent father, by eight rafcally counsellors and tutors to a king of cards. If I was a minifter of tate like Richlieu, I would fend thefe eight affaflins of the Fleur de Lis, attended by all the rabble of Thouloufe, with the parliament in their front and rear, to the Gallies; and there, bare-footed, with torch in hand, they fhould annually prostitute them felves before the thrine of this innocently executed father, to afk pardon of God, and folemnly implore him, foon or late, to annihilate this curfed and perverfe race of Roman Catholicks. in 313 confidered in their circumftances. War, Luxury, and Extravagance detroy this place, have You know the Jefuits no longer their colleges; that we are at the eve of banishing them out of the kingdom. We begin, though tremblingly, to fhew our teeth at old Grey Beard of Rome. Send me as foon as you can, your fourth Canto of the Dispensary. If the notice of your glorious piratical By Chriftiana appears to you deserving gentry, get it tranflated as faithfully as poftible. C D E Tell me, prithee, what corps France you despise the mak. Nota, I just hear from Marfeilles, that a criminal, condemned there for murder, with tears in his eyes, repentance in his looks, and contrition in his heart, has confeffed himself to be the mur derer of the fon of the Proteftant of Thoulouse, whom, the parliament fen- F tenced to the wheel for that crime.." A book lately appears here the most fingular, and another the molt altonithing. The first is an heroic poem, entitled, The broom, or broomflick. Rabelais, Searron, or La Fontaine had not more wit, a better stile, or finer ima G gination. Moreover, it is the work of an apoftate Abbe, namely, Laurence; he published, about 18 months .fince, a work entitled, The Jefuifticals. He is a poet formed by nature. The other is called Oriental Despotism, by M. Boulanger. It is a book worthy of a Montefquieu: I know you are acquainted with the editor: The Po.. lice has tet lopfe all her furies to discover them, but to no purpofe, and I am glad of it. Within a month we have had fixty affalinations, or frightful murders, (GENT. MAG. JULY 1762.) Adieu! beftir yourfelyes, ingrates; praise God for all things; admire Nature, it is the only way I know to live fometimes contentedly. Account of Political Papers. Continued from p. 284. HE MONITOR of July 3, contains Tfume extracts from English hifto ry, to prove, that England has fometimes fuffered from fuch ministers as he has fuppofed all favourites to be, in his paper of May 22, (fee p. 259) not, withstanding our limited monarchy, mixed government, and popular freedom. The examples he mentions are thofe of Ethelwolph, whofe favourites were Swithen, bishop of Winchefter, and Alfian, bishop of Sherburn; and of Edred, whofe favourite was Dunfian, Abbot of Glafon. As thefe examples may be feen in every hiftory of England, and as it feems wholly unneceffary to prove, that bad men make a bad ufe of power, we shall make no farther extract from this paper. The Monitor of July 10, contains a farther parallel between the prefent time and 1710, when a remarkable change took place in the miniftry of the late Queen Anne; but in this paper the author has forgot or renounced his favourite pofitions about favourites; for he regrets the removal of the Dutchefs of Marlborough, an old and faithful fervant, with whom the Queen had held a familiar intimacy from their tender years, & who, he fays, had, during all the glorious part of the Queen's reign, maintained fuch an affection and afcendant in the royal beart, as to have the abfolute direction of her Majefty's will and actions both in public aud private. It inuft follow, therefore, that the favourite of a fovereign is not always a perfon unworthy of favour, and that a fovereign may have a favourite, and yet carry the honour and profperity of his country to their higheit |