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 about it. After the year and a day had passed
by, we have, as representatives of the commonalty, and upon
his request, legally solicited, as his sureties were troubling
him, that the suit should be tried, so that he might be punished
according to his deserts if he were guilty, and if not, that
he might be discharged. But there was nothing gained by our
interposition, as we were answered with reproachful language,
and the fiscaal was permitted to rattle out anything that came
in his mouth, and the man was rendered odious beyond all
precedent, and abused before all as a foul monster. Asked he