Page 226 - Early English Adventurers in the Middle East_Neat

CHAPTER XV
The Last Scene of All

Condemnation of the Amboina prisoners—Reprieve of two of the
English—A fateful lottery—The condemned Englishmen
refused the Sacrament—They solemnly renew their protesta­
tions of innocence—The last night passed in prayer and praise—
A touching memorial of the occasion—The day of execution—
Meeting between the English and the Japanese prisoners—
Bearing of the English in their last moments—The execution—
Strange happenings—Effect produced in England by the episode
—A belated settlement—What was “ the Massacre of Am­
boina ” ?—The English withdraw from the Eastern Islands

/^vN February 25, 1623 (old style), the unfortunate
Vy prisoners were assembled in the great hall of the castle
of Amboina to receive the inevitable condemnation. None
of the gloomy accessories of justice were wanting to lend
impressiveness to the occasion. At the head of the chamber
sat at a massive table Van Speult and the members of his
council in full uniform. The Fiscal, De Bruyne, who had
taken such a prominent and sinister part in the examina­
tions, was there also, with the Dutch chaplain, in the severe
habiliments of his order. On all sides were armed soldiers
in the buff uniforms of Holland’s greatest mercantile
association. On the fringes of the crowd were probably a
few islanders holding menial offices, who looked with
curious questioning eyes upon this spectacle of the mem-
bers of one European race sitting in judgment upon the
representatives of another Western nationality.
There was a brevity about the final proceedings consist-
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