# A Full and True Relation of the Great and Wonderful Revolution That Hapned Lately in the Kingdom of Siam in the East-Indies/Part 1

A Relation of the Late Great Revolution in S i a m, And of the Driving out of the French.
B Y the various Relations, Embassies and Voyages of Siam that have been publisht within these last Four Years, the World has been sufficiently informed of the Intrigues of the Jesuits in that Kingdom, which was begun and managed by the means of a certain Greek Christian call'd Constantin Faulcon, whom the French have qualified with the Title and Dignity of his Excellency my Lord ​Constance. He was born in Cephalonia, a Greek Island belonging to the Venetians, of a Noble Venetian, and of a young Lady of the ancientest Family of the Country; and about the Year 1660, being but Ten Years of Age, he had Sense and Understanding enough to discern the ill Condition that his Parents Negligence and ill Management had brought their Domestick Affairs into, which put him upon the Resolution of seeking his Fortune abroad, since he could not maintain it according to his Quality at home. The first Adventure he made was into England, where he lived some Years, and then went into the East-Indies, and was employ'd by some English Merchants as their Factor at Siam. He continued some time in that Service, and had the good Fortune to be known to the chief Minister of State, who in that Country is call'd Barcalon, who finding him to be diligent, laborious, and capable of doing Business, brought him into the management of publick Affairs under him; by which means he came to be not only acceptable, but very necessary to the King in the dispatch of several important Matters. The Advantage of his European Education, and the great Knowledge he had acquired in Trade and Commerce both there and in the Indies, making him very considerable, help'd to insinuate him so far into the Favour and good Opinion of the King of Siam, that at last, after the death of the Barcalon, he was advanced to be one of his chief Ministers, especially for the management of Foreign Affairs.
The Intrigue was carry'd on at Court, under the plausible Pretext of freeing the Golph of Siam from the Dutch Yoke, who having Malacca, a strong Fort at the Entry of it, in their hands, had imposed a Toll and Duty on all the Indian Ships that traded or came into that Bay; but the true Design that (as was believed) lay at the bottom, ​was first to bring the Kingdom under the French Domination, and then to change the establisht Religion of the Country; towards the attainment of which Ends, the said Greek had so far prevailed on the King, who having no Sons of his own to succeed him, but two Brothers, as to get him to adopt a young Nobleman that had been bred up in that Christian Religion that the Jesuits teach and propagate in the Indies, to be his Heir and Successor. It was under this Successor that the Conspiracy was to take Effect.
The French were already become Masters, and in possession of the two chief places that open a passage into that Kingdom; the one is call'd Bancock, which is a great and strong Fortress on the Mouth of the River of Siam; Margen is the other place situated on the Frontiers: And as if this had not been enough to please and oblige them, the King allow'd them to have a Command in the Guards about his own Person.
It was with much Impatience and Resentment that the Officers of State, and the great Men of the Kingdom suffered those pernicious Intrigues to be carry'd on. They could not but well observe, that those great French Squadrons, so fill'd with Numbers of Men, and so plentifully provided with Ammunition, and all Warlike Preparations, aimed at something else, besides the securing of the Trade and Commerce of the French Company of Merchants, all whose Stock was not of that Importance, as to occasion the Charges and necessary Expence of one of those Squadrons; neither were they so filly, or unacquainted with the Affairs abroad, as to believe that those mighty and rich Presents that came so frequently from France, were sent for no other End, than to make and preserve a strict Friendship and Amity betwixt the Kings of both Nations. They could ​not, without some Indignation, bear the specious Discourses of the Jesuits, who would persuade those Oriental People, that all the Pains they took, the Fatigues and Dangers they had endur'd in coming so far to live amongst them, proceeded from no other Principle, but the strong desire they had of doing them good, which was pretended to be the Motive that induced them to come and exercise amongst them those Arts and Sciences that are best understood and practised in Europe, such as Physick, Surgery, Astronomy, and the Mathematicks, by the means whereof they hoped to render them capable of being taught the way to Heaven.
On the contrary, they saw that those Missioners had fallen upon the fame treacherous and intriguing Methods to overturn their Government, that they had formerly practised in Japan, where they made it more their Business to subject that Kingdom to the Spanish Domination, (which was then the most potent, and furthest extended in the World) than to bring it under the Obedience of Jesus Christ his Laws. Notwithstanding that the Doctrin of the Gospel had made so great a progress in that vast Empire, that some Princes of the Blood, several of the chief Nobility, and some hundreds of thousands of the People had declared for the Christian Religion, and enroll'd themselves amongst the Professors of it.
These were the Reflections that the Grandees of Siam entertain'd themselves with on this Occasion, but they were willing to stay till the death of the King, before they attempted the shaking off this Foreign Yoke.
​In the Month of May 1688, the King happened to fall Sick at his Royal Palace at Louvo, the report whereof was no sooner spread abroad, than the Conspiracy broke out, which was contrived by one of the Chief Ministers of State, Pitrachard by Name; who, besides his Quality of Great Mandarin, was Governor of the Palaces of Siam and Louvo, and dignified with the Honourable Title of Opra, which is one of the most Illustrious and distinguishing Marks of Honour that one is capable of in Siam. The discovery of this Plot, the progress it made, and the consequences of it, being the substance of several Letters writ from Siam in October 1688, are as follow:
On the 26th of May at Night, Opra Pitrachard caused a great many Troops to enter the Castle of Louvo, whereby he made himself presently Master of the Person of the King, seized his Adopted Son, and on his two Brothers, giving it out, and making every one of them in particular believe, it was to secure the King's Life from a desperate Conspiracy that lately had been discovered against him; but to the three young Princes he further said to every one of them apart, That the King was so ill that he was past all hopes of Recovery, and that he would make it his business to set the Crown on their Heads. This was done on purpose that they might let him go on, and not interrupt him in the execution of so plausible a Design; and it had all the success that he could have wished or hoped.
Monsieur Constance was no sooner acquainted with what had past, and was a carrying on in the Castle, but he went immediately thither, accompanied with a numerous Train of his Friends, and particularly of the French, amongst whom ​were these Officers of note, Messieurs de Beauchamp, de Fretteville; the Chevalier des Fourbin, Monsieur Vandrille, and de Luiffe, as he was entring the Castle he told those that were posted round about it, that he was going to see the King; but he did scarcely come within the Gates when they seized on him, and on the French Officers, who were all secured and kept together in one of the Apartments of the Palace.
The next day Opra Pitrachard sent for Monsieur Constance to come to him, and ordered him to go and tell the French Officers that there was no design of keeping them Prisoners, that what was done was occasioned by a most dangerous Plot that they had lately discovered against the Life of the King, but that all the Parties concern'd in it not being as yet fully known, they were under the necessity of securing all Persons of Note, until a clearer discovery should be made; And as for you Monsieur Constance (said he, with a certain Air of Authority) I charge you that you say this, and no more to those French Officers; and know, that you shall be narrowly watched and overheard. This Complemental Visit was only an Artifice that Opra Pitrachard used to moderate the Resentments of the French, and to hinder them from taking of measures for their common Defence and Security. Monsieur Constance went and delievered the Message precisely in the terms he was ordered.
The King of Siam had several Troops of Guards about his Person, whereof one was made up of Europeans of different Nations, but especially of the French. The Siams's Troop of Guards, consisting of 150 Men, was Commanded by French Officers; these were sent to Thalapson, a House of Pleasure the King had at some distance from Louvo, whither Opra Pitra​chard had sent a great Body of the Forces to Encamp, and be in a readiness as occasion should present. Two days after the French Officers that had been taken into Custody, and secured at Louvo, together with Monsieur Constance, were sent thither also under a Strong Guard.
When matters had thus far proceeded, Opra Pitrachard sent again for Monsieur Constance to have him brought before him, and severely reproached him, charging him with Treachery and Perfidiousness against the King and Government of Siam, and then caused him to be put to the ordinary and extraordinary Torture, to force him to discover and declare who were his Accomplices in the Management of the Intreague for making the King a Christian, and subjecting the Kingdom to the French Power: And when he had continued him several hours in the Torture, he ordered the King's Adopted Son to be brought to the place, and caused his Head to be cut off immediately, and a string to be run through it, and then to be hung about Monsieur Constance his Neck, in the manner of European Cravats.
This Tragedy was Acted on the 28th of May, the following 29 and 30, Monsieur Constance was again appli'd to the Torture, in the cruellest manner that could be devised, having the young Prince's Head always hanging on his Breast Night and Day. Thus they continued to Torment him till the 4th of June, that he expired under the violence of the Torture.
His Goods, Family, and all his Effects were also seiz'd every where, and his Family carried into Prison. His Lady, after having undergone a severe Examination, and several Interrogatories put to her, without declaring or con​fessing what they expected or desired, was at last appli'd to the Torture, which the endured several days together; after which they threw her into Prison, where she was kept three Months with Iron Chains on her Hands, and Fetters on her Feet; at the end whereof they made her and all her Family Slaves, in which disgraceful Quality they took off her Irons, open'd the Prison Doors, and turn'd her out.
Opra Pitrachard who had determin'd with himself to set the Crown on his own Head, after he had once dispatched the King's Adopted Son, and Monsieur Constance out of the way, began now to confider how to get rid of the two Princes the King's Brothers, that seem'd to obstruct the execution of his Design; and this was the Expedient he made use of to bring it about. He made each of them in particular, and severally believe, that what he had acted in all this Revolution, was in order to the bringing and setling them on the Throne; but in regard Affairs were not yet in a peaceable and regular Posture, there was a necessity for their retiring for some time to Thalapsan, until he should ufe his utmoft endeavour to appease them: These poor unfortunate Princes suffered themselves easily to be persuaded by the Magick of those cunning Insinuations and plausible. Pretences to go thither; but they never reached it, being Murthered in the way by a party that was appointed to do that Execution. Then they fell upon all the most considerable Persons that were their Friends and intimate Acquaintance, and cauſed them to be put to Death in like manner, or imprison'd.
The next step that Opra Pitrachard made, was to set himself against the Christians, whom he was resolved to drive out of the Kingdom; and to facilitate it the more, he com​manded that all the Portuguese Christians should meet together and retire into a little Island near Siam, threatning to put all those to Death that should attempt to make their escape out of it.
The English had the Misfortune also to feel the Effects of his Indignation and Rage, for they were first Plundered of all they had, and then thrown into Prison. As for the French that were at Siam and Louvo, he made no open Assault upon them at first, because their numbers were too considerable to be treated as the rest were; and besides he was willing rather to sursprize those that were at Bancock and at Morgen, then openly to attack them. The most considerable Persons of the French Nation that were at Thalapson, were the Chevaliers de Cargis, and de Fretteville, Monsieur de Vandrille, Mounsieur de Laiffe, Mounsieur Bresley, the Ingineer, and another Ingineer; and it was not possible for them to make their escape from Louvo as yet: but in conclusion, fearing left in the progress of these Tragical Revolutions, they should meet with the same fate, that the other Christians dispersed up and down the Kingdom, had found; they made an escape, and fled towards Siam, to the Quarters of the French Company, and when they should have the good luck to get thither, their purpose was to have seized on some Ship or other to carry them to the French Garison at Bancock, where Monsieur des Farges, General of the French Forces Commanded, and to inform him what had past: But Opra Pitrachard being advertifed of their flight, early enough to prevent what might follow upon it, sent immediately at detach'd Body of 6 or 7000 Men, Arm'd as if they were ready to give Battel. These few Officers, tho' the bravest and most determin'd Men of their Nation, were much surpriz'd to see so early in the Morning, and within two ​Leagues of Siam; so great a Detachment of the Army before and behind them, to hinder their getting into the Town; and making a vertue of necessity, they put themselves into a poisture of Defence, resolving to sell their Lives at as dear a rate as they could; but some Mandarins coming up to them, told them they were in no danger, in regard they assur'd them, they were come, not only to do them no harm themselves, but to prevent their receiving any from others and their business was to bring them back to Louvo, as the King had expresly commanded them: The French Gentlemen were soon overcome by the power of so fine and obliging Expressions, and presently surrendred themselves into their hands; for to do otherwise was not possible for them, there being no proportion betwixt the fewness of their number, and so great a Body as they had to dispute with. And the truth on't is, they were treated the first day with kindness and civility enough; but it was not so the next, for they strip'd them of all, and ti'd them to Horse-Tails, in which miserable condition they forc'd them to march, and in great Ceremony brought them back to Louvo, treating them most outragiously all along as they went, in so much that Monsieur Bresley the Ingineer dy'd soon after, and the rest had much ado to outlive the Miseries and Indignities they suffered. They no sooner arriv'd at Louvo, but they were Chain'd two and two together, by the Neck, and so thrown into Prison; all their Domesticks were treated in like manner, as well as all the other French that staid at Louvo.
All this was contrived and executed with that diligence and secrecy, that may seem very surprizing and unaccountable to those that hear it: For the French that were at Bancock and Morgen, had not the least knowledge of what had ​been done in the two Cities of Siam and Louvo, which was like to have loft them all.
Opra Pitrachard having now taken his measures, and determined to destroy the French one way or other, and since he would not venture upon the doing of it by open force, was resolved to try what Cunning and Surprize could do. Wherefore he sent one Manpui, who had been the year before in France, in Quality of first Ambassador, and since his return was honour'd with the title of Barcalon, or Chief Minifter of State, to Bancock, to perswade Monsieur des Farges General of the French to come to him, and to tell him that it was the King's express pleasure that he should immediately come and confer with him about some Affairs of the last importance, and make what haste he possibly could to be at Louvo.
The General, that was altogether ignorant of what had been done in all this great and sudden Revolution, and suspecting no fraud, believed very readily what the Barcalon had told him, and that the King had sent for him, as on other occasions he had often done before; set out from Bancock the 7th of June, and went by Water; but he had hardly gone two Leagues from the place, when he perceived that some extraordinary business was in agitation, and apprehended there might be some design of putting some indignity upon him: For he could not imagine why he was surrounded with such a great number of Barges and Galleys, Arm'd with Stones and Field-Pieces, that perpetually accompani'd him till he came to Siam; where he no sooner arriv'd, but he was immediately taken out, and put into a Palanquin or close Litter, and carried to Louvo, being Guarded by several Troops of Armed Men; all this ​still encreased his astonishment, and the more, because he was not wont to be hurri'd nor conducted in so Military a manner, when the King wanted him, or ordered him to come to him, but he had always the priviledge of going with great freedom, and less attended.
When he came to Louvo, he was straight led to the King's Palace, without allowing him the liberty of going first to the Jesuits House to Repose and Refresh himself, as he desired, tho' his intention was rather to be somewhat inform'd, and know the posture of present Affairs, which he thought were much altered. The same day of his arrival he received several Visits from the Mandarins, and after Supper he had one from Opra Pitrachard, with whom he discoursed some time, and, amongst other things, the Opra told him, with an unusual Air of Pride and Haughtiness,
That the King had caused Monsieur Constance to be put to Death for many hainous Crimes and Faults he had been found guilty of, in the management of those Employments he was entrusted with, and that the King would give him his Place, knowing him to be a Man of great Integrity, Faithfulness, and good Understanding in the management of Affairs, and in whom he reposed great Confidence and Trust.
He further told him, That the King was engaged in a War against the Cochinchinois, and the People of Laos; That there was a necessity of sending for all the French Forces to joyn in a Body, and march against the Enemy, to hinder the Invasion that the Kingdom was threatened with; and that he had also writ to Monsieur Bruham, Governour of Morgen, to the same purpose, to hasten to Louvo with all his Troops.
​Monsieur des Farges saw plainly now that these Proposals were nothing but a meer Contrivance, and like so many Snares that they had laid to catch him; which he was fully convinc'd of in a very little time afterwards, as well by the distinct Information he receiv'd from several of his Friends, that by Opra Pitrachard's express Order, had leave to make him a Visit, as by Letters that came to him from his Officers: And began now to confider with himself, what he must do to get out of the Danger that his good Nature and Fidelity to the King had so unluckily brought him into; and the best Expedient he could think of, was to send this Answer to Opra Pitrachard:
That the King of France, his Master, had sent him to serve the King of Siam, and that he was now ready to obey his Commands: But that he thought it highly necessary to go himself in person to Bancock, to bring the Soldiers with him, in regard that the Officers that commanded in his Absence, would not quit the Fortress upon a bare Letter.
This seem'd so reasonable, and to carry so much probability with it, that he presently obtain'd leave to return to the Fort; but on condition to leave his two Sons that came along with him, as Hostages for the performance of his promise. But before he left Louvo, he was much press'd by the Opra to write to Monsieur de Bruham, and fain would he have been excused from complying with him in it: And told him, That unless he sent an Officer of his own to carry the Letter, it would signifie nothing, nor be regarded.
​But it was to no purpose to insist on such a Condition, for it was positively deny'd him, and yet write he must, being under an unavoidable necessity of doing it; yet in writing, he did so disguise his Hand and Stile, by chusing such extravagant Terms and unusual Expressions, as that Monsieur Bruham might know, in case the Letter came to his hands, there was some further Mystery in it, and that he was not to give Credit to it; and, by good Providence, it fell out just as he could have wished, the Letter being received and understood in the Sense it was designed.
Monsieur des Farges return'd no sooner to Bancock, but he abandon'd the Little Fort, and drew off all the French into the Great Fort, not having Men enough to hold out in both places. All the Houses that were near to it, he caused to be pillag'd, and then burnt; and all the Cannon that he could not carry away or use, to be nail'd or broken. And because he had not time enough to demolish or raze the Fort, by reason of the great number of Forces that Opra Pitrachard sent after him, and follow'd him to take possession of the place; he did what was possible to ruin it all to pieces with his Cannon.
Opra Pitrachard perceiving by this, that Monsieur des Farges had discover'd his Rebellious Designs and Practices, and that there was no prospect or hopes of his Return with this Soldiers to Siam, he sent down an Army of about Threescore thousand Men, made up of Mahumetans, Chineses, and Malayans, against the Fort of Bancock, to besiege the French in't, with Orders to cut all their Throats. But such was the Resolution and Bravery wherewithal they defended themselves, that this open Investing and Attacking ​of them, proved as Unsuccessful, as the Artifices that were used to Trepan them to come to Siam were ineffectual: For when so vast an Army had endeavoured all they could, during two Months close Siege, by frequent Attacks and Storming, to force their Entry into the place, and had been always beat off with great Loss, by the handful of French, who were not in all above Three hundred, he saw himself obliged, at last, to send to the General, and ask Conditions of Peace.
During this Siege, all the French who were at Siam and Louvo were made close Prisoners, and treated with the greatest extremity of Rigor and Severity, without consideration of Quality or Age. Nor could the Bishop of Metellopolis, who had lived long amongst them, and was the Apostolick Vicar in the greatest part of of the East-Indies, be exempted from his share of the common Calamity that fell upon his Profession and Countrey-Men: For when Opra Pitrachard saw he could not recover Bancock out the hands of the French by force, he caus'd the old Bishop to be sent for, and conducted to the Fort-and there to be strip'd and ti'd to a Gibbet, with a Halter about his Neck, and fastned at the place where the French Cannon were most levell'd, and did most execution, hoping that the sight of so moving a Spectacle, and the consideration they had of the Person of their Bishop, should prevail with them to moderate the fury of their Guns, intermit their Firing, and hearken to a Treaty of Peace.
All the French Jesuits and Missionary Priests that were any where in the Kingdom, were seiz'd, and carri'd Prisoners to Louvo, being Accused of Sedition and Treason against the Government; all their Goods, Furniture, and Effects were likewise seiz'd and confiscated.
​All this could not be acted without coming to the knowledge of Monsieur de Bruham, Governor of Morgen, having now been fully inform'd from several hands of what had past both at Louvo and Siam, he began to consider how to extricate himself out of the great and iminent danger he was every where surrounded with; for he had but fifty two Souldiers, three Captains, three Lieutenants, and three Ensigns in all, to Guard a large Fortress that was open on all sides. The best thing he could think of in that extremity, was to seize a small Frigat of 26 Guns, belonging to the King of Siam, to save himself and his Men upon, when he should be driven to his last shifts: This he happily executed towards the end of June, and it was of great use to him in the conclusion of the Affair: For when he had been Besieged and closely Attack'd for seventeen days together, by an Army of Twelve thousand Men, assaulting them often, and as often repulsed; and wanting Water and other necessary Provisions, without any possible hopes of being relieved or refreshed, he was constrain'd, at last, to abandon the place, and carry all his Men, and what conveniently else he could, on Board the Frigat, and so got safe off:
On the 25th of July, the Bishop of Metellopolis being released out of the miserable and dangerous Circumstances he was put into, before Bancock was sent into the place, to obtain a Commission and full Power from the General Monsieur des Forges, to negotiate a Treaty of Peace with such persons as Opra Pitrachard should appoint for that purpose; which was soon granted him, and next day he return'd to Siam to conclude it.
​A Little time after, News was brought that the King of Siam was dead, without telling either the day or manner of his Death: Whereupon Opra Pitrachard began to prepare for his Coronation, and about five days after he set out from Louvo in great State and Magnificence, and came to Siam, where he had himself Crown'd King without any Dispute or Opposition, about the beginning of August 1688.
September 30. News was brought that a Peace was concluded and sign'd betwixt the new King and the French, on the following Conditions,
That the French should surrender the Fort of Bancock.
That all the French should have leave to depart the Kingdom.
That they should have two Frigats belonging to the French Company; a Ship of the French King's called the Auriflame, and a fourth of 74 Guns that the King of Siam was to give to Monsieur des Farges to Embarque on, and Transport them out of the King of Siam's Dominions.
This is the substance of what is contain'd in the several Letters dated from Siam, October last was twelve-moneth; and by the Relation we have, by Advice from the Coast of Coramandel of the 20th of February last, we are further inform'd, That Monsieur des Farges was arrived on that Coast with the four Ships, having all the French as well Secular and Military, as the Ecclesiasticks on board them, that were any where to be heard of or known to be in the ​Kingdom of Siam, and that the King had publisht a Declaration, severely prohibiting any French to stay in the Kingdom; and threatning that if any one of them should be found to stay behind, they should be immediately upon discovery put to Death; and all the Europeans that should harbour or conceal them, should be treated with the same rigor.
Other Letters do further add, That Monsieur des Farges had before his departure from Bancock, deliver'd up into the hands of the present King of Siam, the Unfortunate Widow of Monsieur Constance, upon a fancy that the Jesuits had put into his head; That the being a Christian, and extreamly beloved by the King's Son, will marry him, and contribute her endeavours to make him a Christian; with which plausible Imaginations those good Fathers flatter themselves, and hope once more to be re-established in that Kingdom with no less Advantages of Power, Credit and Fortune than they had before.
And, that when the Treaty was sign'd betwixt the King of Siam and the French General, all the French and English that were made Prisoners at Louvo, were the next day after Conducted to Siam, and set at Liberty.