the
Director so opened to all others, and to the captain and merchant, who
were celebrated for this of old, and who were now said to have brought
with them a great number of guns, which was the more believed, because
they went to the right place, and on their return were dumb as to what
they did. This begat so much discontent among the common people, and
even among other officers, that it is not to be expressed; and had the
people not been persuaded and held back, something extraordinary would
have happened. It was further declared that the Director is everything,
and does the business of the whole country, having several shops
himself; that he is a brewer and has breweries, is a part owner
of ships, a merchant and a trader, as well in lawful as contraband
articles. But he does not mind; he exhibits the orders of the Managers
that he might do so, and says moreover that he should receive a supply
of powder and lead by the Falconer for the purpose. In a word, the same
person who interdicts the trade to others upon pain of death, carries it
on both secretly and openly, and desires, contrary to good rules, that
his example be not followed, and if others do follow it--which indeed
too often happens secretly--that they be taken to the gallows. This we
have seen in the case of Jacob Reyntgen and Jacob van Schermerhoren,
against whom the penalty of death was asked, which the Director was with
great difficulty persuaded to withdraw, and who were then banished
as felons and their goods confiscated.(7) The banishment was, by the
intervention of many good men, afterwards revoked, but their goods,
which amounted to much (as they were Scotch merchants(8)), remained
confiscated. We cannot pass by relating here what happened to one Joost
Theunisz Backer, as he has complained to us of being greatly maltreated,
as he in fact was. For the man being a reputable burgher, of good life
and moderate means, was put in prison upon the declaration of an officer
of the Company, who, according to the General and Council, had himself
thrice well deserved the gallows, and for whom a new one even had been
made, from which, out of mercy, he escaped. Charges were sought out on
every side, and finally, when nothing could be established against him
having the semblance of crime, he was released again, after thirteen
days confinement, upon satisfactory bail for his appearance in case the
fiscaal should find anything against him. Nothing has as yet been
done