Page 231 - A History of Siam

A HISTORT OF SUM 217

to be the to take them to
provided by King Pondicherry.
In the month the was crowned with
following King
great pomp, and celebrated the event by releasing all
the French and
English prisoners.
The French at Mergui and at the forts in some other
of Siam were less fortunate than their
parts compatriots
at Bangkok. Many of them were killed and many more
were
captured.
Des and his about five
Farges troops, numbering
hundred, and accompanied by about thirty-six English-
men, left Bangkok towards the end of November, in
three Siamese merchant and one French man-of-
ships
war. Des had been made to leave behind his
Farges
two sons and the of as for
Bishop Metallopolis hostages
the return of the and crews. The 1
ships P'rak'lang
made the mistake of these too
releasing hostages soon,
and Des took of this to on his
Farges advantage seize,
two Siamese nobles and the factor and take
part, King's
them with him as The Siamese considered
hostages.
and as a
consequence
this as a breach of faith, the
recently liberated priests all went back to gaol, and the
of Christians was renewed with double
persecution
The of was treated with
vigour. Bishop Metallopolis
the and Frenchmen were
greatest cruelty, many
massacred.
This second if we call it was
persecution, may so/
anti-French. The who had been liberated
purely English,
at the coronation, remained at liberty, though nominally
at war with Siam, and Turpin relates that they did much
to alleviate the of the French
sufferings priests.
As for the Dutch, King P'etraja regarded them with
special favour, and in the same month that saw the
of the French a new and favourable
departure troops, very
1 This P'rak'lang was P'ya Kosa (Pan) the former ambassador to Louis XIV.