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Show AMBOYNA: OR, THE CRUELTIES OF THE D U T CH TO THE ENGLISH MERCHANTS. A C T I. S C E N E ! A Caftle on the Sea- Enter Harman Senior, the Governour, the Fifcal, and Van Herring, Guards. A Fife. A Happy Day to our noble Governour. Ham. Morrow, Fifcal. Van. Her. Did the laft Ships, which came from Holland, to thefe Parts, bring us no N ews of Moment} Fife. Yes, the beft that ever came into Amboyna, fince w e fet footing here; I mean as to our Intereft. Harm. I wonder much m y Letters, then, gave m e fo fhort Accounts j they only faid the Orange Party was grown ftrong again, fince Barnevelt had fuffer'd. Von. Her. Mine inform m e farther, the Price of Pepper, and of other Spices, was rais'd of late in Europe. Harm. I wifh that News may hold, but much fufpecT: it, while the Englifej maintain their Factories among us in Amboyna, or in the neighbouring Plantations of Seran. Fife. Still I have News that tickles m e within, ha, ha, ha. I'faith, it does, and will do you, and all our Countrymen. Harm. Prithee do not torture us, but tell it. Van. Her. Whence comes this News ? Fife. From England. Harm. Is their Eafe-India Fleet bound outward for thefe Parts ? or caff away, or met at Sea by Pyrates? Fife Better, much better yet, ha, ha, ha. Harm. N o w am I familh'd for m y part ofthe Laughter. Fife. Then, m y brave Governour, if you're a true Dutchman, I'll make your fit Sides heave with th« Conceit On't, till you're blown like a pair of large Smith's Bellows ^ here, look upon this Paper. Harman reading. Ton may remember, we did endamage //jrEtlglim Eaft-India Company, the Value of Five hundred thoufand Pounds, all in one Tear h a Treaty is now fign'd, in which the Bufinefs is ta'en up for Fourfiorc Thoufand. This is News indeed; wou'd I were upon the Caftle Wall, that I might throw m y Can into the Sea and m y Gold Chain after it, this is golden News, Boys. Ian. Her. This is News would kindle a Thoufand Bon-fires, and make us pifs cm out again in Rhenifh Wine. Ham. Send prefently to all our factories, acouaint them with thefe blelTed mgs: If we can Tcape fo cheap, 'twill be no matter what Villan'u s forth wc put in Praft:- Fife. AMVOHNA 55> Fife: Hum, Why, this now gives Kncodragetnent to a certain Plot, whith T have long been brewing, againft thefe Skellum Englifh. I almoft have it here if Pericrania, and it is a found one. Faith, no lefs, than to cut all their Throats, and feize all their Effect's within this Ifland. I warrant you we may compound again. Van. Her. Seizing their Factories I like well enough, it has fome Savour in't-but for this Whorion cutting of Throats, it goes a Tittle againft the Grain, becaufe 'tis fo notorioully known in Chriftendom, that they have preferv'd ourc> from being cut by tb<^ Spaniards. Harm. Hang 'em, bafe Englifh Sterts, let 'em e'en take their Part of their owfi Old Proverb, Save a Thief from tfx Gallows: They would needs proteft us Rebels, and fee what comes to themfelves. . Fife. You're i'th'right on't, Noble Harman t, their Affiftance, which was a Mercy, and a Providence to us, fhall be a Judgment upon them. Van. Her. A little Favour wou'd do well though 5 not that I wou'd ftop the Current of your Wit, or any other Plot, to do them Mifchief 5 but they were firft DifcovererS of this Ifle, firft Traded hither, and fhow'd us the way. Fife. I grant you that • nay more, that by Compofition, made after many long and tedious Oiparrels, they were to have a Third Part of the Traffick, we to build Forts, and they to contribute to the Charge. Harm. Which we have fo encreas'd each Year upon 'em, w e being in Power, and therefore Judges of the Coft, that we exact what e'er we pleafe, ftill more than half the Charge, and on pretence Of their Non-payment, or the leaft Delay, do often ftop their Ships, detain their Goods, and drag 'em into Prifons, while our Commodities go on before, and ftill foreftall their Markets. Fife Thefe, I confefs, are pretty Tricks, but will not do our Bufinefs 5 w e muft our felves be ruin'd at long Run, if they have any Trade here: I know our Charge at length will eat us out: I would not let thefe Englifh from this Ifle have Cloves enough to ftick an Orange with $ not one to throw into their Bottle- Ale. Harm. But to bring this about now, there's the Cunning. Bfc. Let m e alone awhile, I have it, as I told you here % mean time w e muft put on a feeming Kindnefs $ call em our Benefactors, and dear Brethren 5 pipe 'em within the Danger of our Net, and then we'll draw it o'er 'em: W h en they are in, no Mercy, that's m y Maxim. Van. Her. Nay, Brother, I a m not too obftinate for faving Englijb-nten 5 'twas but a Qualm of Confcience, which Profit will difpel 5 1 have as true a Dutch Antipathy to England, as the prbudeft He in Amjierdam, that's a bold W o rd now. Harm. W e are fecure of our Superiours there s well, they may give the KING of Great Britain a verbal Satisfaftion, arid with fubmiffive, fawning Promifes, make Show to punifh us, but Intereft is their God as well as ours: To that Almighty, they will facrifice a Thoufand Englifl) Lives, and break a Hundred Thoufand Oaths, ere they will punifh thofe that make 'em rich, and pull their Rivals dowrt. C « " * 8° off within* Van. Her. Heard you thofe Guns ? Harm. Moft plainly. -j . ,. , Fife The Sound comes from the Port; fome Ship arnv d falutes the Caftle, and, I hope, brings more good News from Holland. [ Guns again. Harm. N o w they anfwer 'em from the Fortrefs. Enter Beamont and Collins. « Von. Her. Beamont and Collins, Englifl, Merchants both, perhaps they'll certifie us 'Beam. Captain Harman Van Spelt, good Day to you. J. Harm. Dear, kind Mr. Beamont, a Thoufand, and a Thoufand, good Days to you, and all our Friends, the Englifli. cl' fir^lT^lXZn* aud our ga.lauc Countryman, t?S .ofh^fron, our Employs of *e &04& C*W rd England, as General of the Voyage;, Fife. Is the brave Towerfon return a ? Coll'. The fame, Sir, LI Harm. |