Page 188 - A History of Siam

180 A HISTORY OF SIAM
The King of Siam had one General beheaded and
several others severely punished. He appears to have
been satisfied with the action of the Dutch, and
returned to them five thousand florins, being half of
the duty paid by them that year for the right to trade
with Siam.
On January ist, 1636, P'ya P'itsanulok, one of the most
influential men in the Kingdom, was arrested for having
accused the brother of to the
falsely King's plotting gain
crown. On 22nd he was cut in two
January publicly by
the executioner.
In the same extensive were
year (1636) preparations
made to subdue Patani, but an embassy was first sent
to the of Patani to submit. the advice
urge Queen By
of the Dutch, the embassy was well received, and
Patanese envoys were sent in April to Ayut'ia to beg
and to the and silver
forgiveness, present customary gold
trees in token of submission.
Although the King outwardly professed to be satisfied
with the assistance given by the Dutch against rebellious
he now them with less favour. His
Patani, regarded
irritation was increased by the receipt of some very
worded letters from the Dutch Governor-General
stiffly
at Batavia, who complained that he had been misled
about some of rice which had been
consignments promised
him. On December loth, 1636, two of the Dutchmen
employed by the Dutch Company had an altercation
with some and and their friends were later
priests, they
attacked and handled a crowd of Siamese.
roughly by large
The next were with the house
day they charged attacking
of the and two of their number were
King's brother,
sentenced to be trampled to death by elephants. Van
to the and
Vliet, by distributing presents King principal
officials, managed to obtain their release, after they had