Page:An English Garner Ingatherings from Our History and Literature (Volume 1 1877).pdf/399

 in, to appear before him: who, seeing so many of us there and fearing the cause would go very hard with him, to make the judge his friend, gave him a bribe. He having received it, would have shifted off the punishment from the malefactor: but we, day after day, followed him from house to Court and from place to place, wherever he went; demanding justice and satisfaction for the wrong we had received, and showing the black and blue blows upon the Englishman's shoulders to all the rest of the noblemen at Court. He, fearing therefore lest the King might be made acquainted therewith, was forced—though much against his will—to clap the Cingalese in chains. In which condition, after he had got him; he released him not, till besides the former fee, he had given him another.

Lately [i.e. about 1678], was Richard Varnham taken into the King's service, and held as honourable employment as ever any Christian had, in my time; being Commander of 970 soldiers, and set over all the great guns; and besides this several towns were put under him. A place of no less profit than honour. The King gave him an excellent silver sword and halbert, the like to which the King never gave to any white man in my time. But he had the good luck to die a natural death: for had not that prevented, in all probability he should have followed the two Englishmen spoken of before, that served him.

Some years since, some of our nation took up arms under the King: which happened on this occasion. The Hollanders had a small fort in the King's country, called Bibligom fort. This the King minding to take and demolish, sent his army to besiege it; but it was pretty strong: for there were about ninety Dutchmen in it besides a good number of black soldiers; and it had four guns, on each point of the compass one. Being in this condition, it held out.

Some of the great men informed the King of several Dutch runaways in his land that might be trusted, as not daring to turn again, for fear of the gallows; who might help to reduce the fort: and that also there were white men of other nations that had wives and children from whom they would not run; and that these might do him good service. Unto this advice the King inclined. Whereupon the King made a declaration to invite the foreign nations into his service against