Hamilton’s account of the east indies.
473
* He anfwered me, that the King of Fort St. George could bell give me an anfvver,who was able to protect the King of Siam’s trade thither, and that His Majefty had noother foreign trade but Japon, that he valued, and the Englilh had no trade that way todifturb his mailer’s commerce ; and that if I did not comply with the agreement madeby Powny in Collet’s name, I might go away when I could.
1 told him that I had a mind to fee the King, and would make him a prelent of a1000 dollars, if he could find means to introduce me to his prefence. He anfweredme, that the Englilh had not good manners enough to be admitted into the prefence offo great a King, and therefore I ought not to expect to appear before him and for fearI lliould have made application to fome other court favourite to introduce me, abouttwo or three days after our confabulation, I heard that there was a proclamation publilhedall over the city,' that no foreigner Ihould dare to approach within fuch a diltance of theKing’s palace, under very fevere penalties.
About a week after I had a fummons to appear before a tribunal, to anfvver to anindictment of fpeaking treafon of the King. I knew myfelf innocent, and appeared atthe time appointed, which w r as about eight in the morning. The court was held in alarge, fquare, oblong hall, open on all tides. About nine the judge came with fomethoufands of attendants, and, as he paffed by me to take his place, he viewed me very■narrowly, as I Hid him with much attention. He was a man of a middle ftature, about50 years of age, of a pleafant but grave countenance, and had a quick fparkling eye.' Helpoke to my interpreter, to bid me have a care of my tongue, left I Ihould prejudicemyfelf in anfwering to intricate queftions. I thanked him for his admonition, and toldhim, “ A word to the wife was fufficient.”
Elaving placed himfelf, he ordered my indictment to be read, which was accordinglydone, and in about half an hour’s time it was ended. He alked me by my interpreter,if I underftood what was libelled againft me. I anfwered, “ No.” He then bade theinterpreter inform me of the meaning of each particular paragraph, as they were read afecond time with deliberation, and, having heard my impeachment, which was groundedonly on my faying, “ That the King had been impofed upon,” I thought fit to denyall, and put my adverfary Oia Sennerat to prove that I had faid fo ; but, by the bye,I found, that faying the King of Siam was capable of being impofed on, is ranktreafon.
The judge chofe out of the affembly two procurators for each of us; and there wereno fmall debates, for three or four hours, “ Whether or not a ftranger, who w T as igno-rant of the laws of Siam , could come under the penalty annexed to the tranfgreflionof their laws, when they were broken through ignorance, and not with defign butmy antagonift at laft carried it in the affirmative, though the judge feetned to inclinetowards the opinions of my advocates.
Then the judge put Oia Sennerat to prove what -1 was accufed of, and he producedtwo of his own Servants, who flood at fome diftance when we were difeourfing of myaffairs ; but my advocates challenged the laws of Siam for their infufficiency, for thatlaw admits not of a fervant’s teftimony, either for or againft his mafter. Then he prof-fered to bring an undeniable witnefs againft me, who was the only perfon with us whenWe difeourfed, and that was Collifon, who was prefently fent for, and being fet by myadverfary, the judge afked him by the interpreter, if he was prefent at fuch a time,when Oia Sennerat and I were in warm difeourfe. He anfwered, he was. He theninterrogated him, if he had heard me fay in my difeourfe, that the King had been im-pofed on. He affirmed he had ; on which I perceived a cloud overfpread the judge’scountenance, and many others who had come to hear the trial feemed forrowful.vol. viii. 3 p ' After