that Towerson knew nothing of the matter. "You
lie," said the fiscal, "did not he call you all before him, telling you
that the daily abuses of the Dutch had instigated him to devise a plot,
and that he wanted nothing but your consent and secrecy?" Then a Dutch
merchant who was present, named Jan Igost, asked him, if they had not
all been sworn to secrecy on the Bible? Collins declared with great
oaths, that he knew nothing of any such matter. He was again ordered to
be seized up again to the torture, on which he said that all was true
they had said. Then the fiscal asked, if the English in the other
factories were consenting to this plot? To which he answered, no. The
fiscal then next asked, if the English president at Jacatra, or Mr
Weldon the agent at Banda, were engaged in this plot, or privy to its
contrivance? He again answered, no. The fiscal next enquired by what
means the Japanese were to have executed their purpose? And, when
Collins stood amazed, and devising some probable fictions to satisfy
them, the fiscal helped him out, saying, "Were not two Japanese to have
gone to each bulwark, and two to the door of the governor's chamber, to
have killed him on coming out to enquire into the disturbance you were
to have raised without?" Upon this, a person who stood by, desired the
fiscal not to put words into the mouth of the witness, but to allow him
to speak for himself. After this reproof, without waiting any answer to
his former question, the fiscal asked what reward was to have been given
the Japanese for their services? Collins answered 1000 dollars each. He
was then asked, when this plot was to have been carried into execution?
But, although he made no answer to this question, not knowing on the
sudden what to say, he was dismissed, glad to get away from the torture,
yet certainly believing they would put him to death for his confession.

Samuel Colson was next brought in; and, for fear of the tortures that
Collins had endured, whom he saw brought out in a pitiable condition,
with his eyes almost starting out of their sockets, he chose rather to
confess all they asked, and so was quickly dismissed, yet came out
weeping and lamenting, and protesting his innocence. John Clark was then
taken in, and tortured with fire and water for two hours, in the same
manner as had been done with Johnson and Thomson.[317]

[Footnote 317: The minute description of these tortures, in Purchas, and
copied in Harris, are disgusting