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be remedied. It is written, the days of our years are few, and, when we come to our best age, it is then but labour and scrrow.

MEMORANDUM.

The letter the Captain shewed me one day, was to this purpose: I have given Captain Vrats full commission to dispose of the places of captain, or lieutenant, to whomsoever he shall find capable of it.'

So far I read the letter; five lines lower stood these words, six. hundred dollars, which was not the captain's hand, or writing, it was High-Dutch. I, seeing the letter, threw it down upon the table, but he put it up, and, underneath the letter, was signed Conings. mark. Thus much I saw, but made no farther reflections upon the letter, because, God knows, I was blinded.

Another memorandum I have forgot in the papers, which, after my death, are like to be published, viz. It hath been twice in my thoughts, when Captain Vrats was in Holland, to go and tell Mr. Thynn what the captain intended against him, but I still forgot.

I desire the doctor, in case any thing of the captain's writings should come abroad, to compare what he saith with my confessions, and to consider one with the other, Give unto Cæsar the things that are Cæsar's, and unto God the things that are God's. I hope I shall go with the publican into the temple of God; I am a great sinner, yet God's mercy is greater, wherein I trust; nor will Christ therefore refuse a soul, though the body is hanged up by the world, My lords, ye judges, I do wish you all happiness; I confess you have a weighty office. God give you his grace, that you may neither add to, nor diminish from a cause. You have seen how I have exposed all my failings, and that openly, to God, and to the whole world, because others may take warning by me, whom I leave behind me in the world. I beg of God, that people may consider this, my poor writing, the effect of the assistance of God's spirit, and the desire of a pious soul.

The captain desired me, that I would cause two daggers to be made, because at first it was resolved, we should fall upon Mr, Thynn on foot, and he would have had some Italian, or another, to thrust them into Mr. Thynn's body; yet I neither looked out for a man, fit for that purpose, nor would I cause those daggers to be made. The musquetoon, or the gun, I fetched indeed, but it was out of a house, which the captain described to me, The holy pas sion of Jesus Christ preserve me; the innocent blood of our Lord strengthen me; the pure blood, that flowed from his side, wash me; the great pain of Jesus Christ heal me, and take away the deadly wounds of my soul.

O bountiful Jesu, hear me; hide me in thy holy wounds; from thy compassionate heart, let there flow into my wicked heart mercy, comfort, strength, and pardon of all my sins,

My Lord, and my God, if I have but thy most holy passion and death in my soul, neither heaven nor earth can hurt me. O Jesu!

I creep into thy gaping wounds, there I shall be secure, until the wrath of God be overpast. O Lord, let me always adhere to thee; keep off from me all the assaults of Satan, in the hour of my death. O my dearest Lord Jesu, who hast spoke comfortably to the penitent sinner on the cross, call to my dying heart, and speak comfort and consolation to it; assist me, that, in my last necessity, through thy help, I may happily overcome; and, when I can speak no more, accept of my sighs in mercy, and let me continue an heir of eternal happiness, for the sake of thy most holy blood, which thou hast shed for me. Amen. Lord Jesu Christ, my Lord and Saviour. Amen. Amen.

O Jesu, receive my poor soul into thy hands, then shall I die thy servant. My soul I commend to thee, and then I shall feel no pain nor sorrow. Amen. Amen. Amen.

These Ejaculations are Parts of such Spiritual Songs, as are usually sung in the Lutheran Churches.

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Give to my faith, give greater strength,
And take from me all doubts away;
What I have pray'd for, give me, Lord.
In thy great name my soul hath pray'd,
And now her joyful Amen sings.

Ask, and ye shall have.

THE

CONFESSION OF GEORGE BORODZYCZ, THE POLONIAN,

Signed with his own Hand, in Prison, before his Execution.

I, GEORGE BORODZYCZ, do here, in few words, intend

to make known to the world, how I came into the service of Count Coningsmark. About eighteen months ago, I was recommended, by letters, to the Quartermaster-General Kemp at Staden, and from thence I was to be sent to the count at Tangier; but, by reason of the hard winter, I was stopped, for the ship, in which I was to go, stuck in the ice in the River Elbe; this made me stay till farther orders. In March last I received a letter, which ordered me to go, and stay in a mannor, belonging to the count, in the bishoprick of Bremen, and there expect new orders from the count. At last I received a letter, with orders to come by land for Holland; but, destitute of an opportunity, I staid till the twelfth of Novem ber, 1681, and then new orders came, that I should come for England to the count's brother, where I should fetch horses, and convey them to Strasburgh; and, accordingly, I left Hamburgh the twenty-fourth of December, 1681, and was at sea till the fourth of February, 1682. When I came to London, I lay the first night in the city, hard by the Royal Exchange, at one Block's, and from thence I was conducted to the count's brother, and from thence to the count himself, who was to be my master. When I came to him, Captain Vrats being with him, my lord told me, I should be with Captain Vrats three days, till his, i. e. the count's, baggage and goods he had on shipboard, came. Whereupon the captain said, he would send his man for me the next day, which was Sunday, which he did accordingly. I went with his man, and my lord charged me, I should do what Captain Vrats should order me to do. I went thereupon to my chamber, and said the Lord's prayer. On Sunday, about one of the clock, came up the captain's man for me, and brought me to the captain. When I saw him, he told me, it

man;

is well you are come, for I have a quarrel with an English gentle. I did formerly send him two challenges, but he answered them not; whereupon Count Coningsmark, and myself, went for France; but that gentleman sent six fellows after us, who were to kill the count and me. Accordingly they came on us, the count received two wounds, we killed two of them, and I am now come hither to attack that gentleman, in the open streets, as a murderer; and, as he hath begun, so I will make an end of it. Whereupon he gave me the gun, which I should make use of to kill him. When hereupon I pleaded with Captain Vrats, and shewed myself unwilling, saying, that, if we were taken, we should come to a very ill end: he answered, I need not trouble myself about that, if we should be taken prisoners, it was he that must suffer for it, not I; and, for my service, he would recommend me to Count Conings mark; whereupon I thought with myself, that it might be here, as it is in Poland, viz. Where a servant doth a thing, by his master's order, the master is to suffer for it, and not the servant.

We went, therefore, soon after, for our horses, and rid towards the Pall Mall. The captain told me, I will stop the coach, and do you fire upon the gentleman; which was done accordingly. Lord have mercy upon me.

I am heartily sorry, that my honest parents must receive this unwelcome news of me; the Almighty God take care of my soul. I have great confidence in Almighty God, and know that he hath offered his son upon the cross for the sins of all mankind; there. fore I believe, that satisfaction was also made for my sins; and in this faith, in the name of God, I will live and die. Lord Jesu, give me a happy end, for thy bitter death and passion sake. Amen. What pity is it, that I should be, about the space of seven weeks, upon the sea, betwixt Hamburgh and London, and in great danger, day and night, and yet should fall at last into this unexpected mis. fortune! I can bear witness, with a good conscience, that I knew nothing of the business aforehand. The great God pardon those men that have brought me to this fall; God keep every mother's child from all such disasters, for Christ's sake. Amen.

And I desire the doctor to pray for me, and to let all the world know my innocence after I am dead, that men may see and fear. GEORGE BORODZYCZ.

For ROBIN CONSCIENCE, or CONSCIENCE ROBIN,

See VOL. 1. p. 68.

A SHORT ACCOUNT

OF

THE SIEGE OF BANTAM ;

AND ITS SURRENDER TO THE REBELS,

Who were assisted by the Dutch, and their Fleet, IN THE EAST INDIES;

In a letter from an English Factor to a Merchant of London., London, printed for John Smith, 1683. Folio, containing two pages.

SIR,

GREAT

REAT was our expectation upon the success of our late ambassador Kaia Nebbe's negotiation into England; of settling a commerce with that kingdom; which, as it is of all nations in most esteem with, so is it most earnestly desired by the Bantamites, who have a natural kindness for the English in these parts.

Whilst we were big with these joys, a sudden and unexpected storm happened, which blasted all our hopes in an instant, and unmercifully exposed us, not only to the fury of a domestick enemy, but the spoil and rapine of a foreign foe.

Sir, it would be but a needless trouble to tell you the true correspondence, and real friendship, that has been preserved between the English and the Bantamites: these allowing them a factory, and a place of residence for their consult within the walls of the town of Bantam, which is the capital city of Java, whereas all other foreign. ers, as the Bengallians, Cusarats, Malayans, Abyssins, Chinese, Portuguese, and Hollanders, are placed without the town; nay the very Indians themselves, who come from the borders of the country, have their places allotted them without the city, where they have their markets for their particular commodities, the grand bazor, or exchange, being in the east part of the town, wholly employed in the English factory, and for stowing up the commodities they trade in.

Since the last massacre of the Dutch in this nation, they have not dealt so freely amongst us, but keep within their own plantation at Batavia, which is some twelve leagues from Bantam.

The Portuguese, that deal at Bantam, live out of town in the same quarter with the Chinese. They drive here a great trade in pepper, nutmegs, cloves, mace, sandal-wood, cubebs, long pepper, and other commodities that are sent them from Malacca; for the greater part of them are factors, and commissioners of the Go. vernor of Malacca, and the Archbishop of Goa.

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