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Chapter IX: The arrival of the embassy and the reception the embassy received, a continuation of the previous chapter
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105 C H A P T E R IX The arrival of the embassy and the reception the embassy received, a continuation of the previous chapter When the time came for the embassy to disembark, Friar Jorge said to the mandarins—who were the leading men of that kingdom —that he had brought a letter from the embassy in Portuguese which was to be translated into Siamese and read before the king when he received the embassy; and the letter in Malay which had been sent in a golden document tube could be presented in the state in which it had been sent since it was closed and sealed. The mandarins conveyed this to king, who approved and he ordered that the document be translated as the friar had ordered. To this end, the said mandarins of the committee, the ambassador, the friar and all the Portuguese who had come aboard the junk gathered together in an enclosure that was similar to a hall, which would have been more than 70 or 80 varas long, and slightly less in width, inside the king’s palace, where all the mandarins and leading figures of the kingdom were seated. After we had taken our seats in due order, they began to present a false embassy, which the friar had concocted and which none of us understood. Ms. fol. 27 verso–33 recto. Ms. here and subsequently: [lengua] Siama. Ms. here and subsequently: lengua Malaya. Ms. un theatro hecho a modo de un corridor. Ms. baras. About 58 to 88 metres. See also the glossary (vara). 09-10 MJdC.indd 105 10/18/13 11:09:55 AM The Memoirs and Memorials of Jacques de Coutre 106 This was how the events unfolded. The friar knew how to speak Malay and he understood some Siamese. He took with him the aforementioned renegade Miguel de Pina, who could also speak the two languages. In this manner the friar read out a document that he had brought written in his own hand to Miguel de Pina in Malay, and Miguel de Pina relayed it to the mandarins in Siamese, and this was how, during this presentation of the embassy, the friar made us slaves of the king. The mandarins were delighted and asked us what we were called and wrote down our names, calling us payluan, which means slaves of the king. The ambassador did not utter a word, he allowed the friar to do everything. The contents of the embassy’s presentation were sheer nonsense and stated the following: “The King of Portugal and Spain, Flanders, [the] Algarve, [the] sea of Africa, Lord of Guinea and the conquests, King of the East Indies, [and] the West Indies, etc. I send many greetings to the very powerful king of Siam and Cambodia, conqueror of the neighbouring kingdoms. I am sending to Your Highness [my] ambassador Manuel Pereira de Abreu”—that was his name—“who is a relative of mine, as a symbol of love and friendship, along with ten other Portuguese to serve Your Highness in the wars with Pegu, [along with] an armour set, a barrel gun and a range of [other] armaments, some glass items,10 and garlands to adorn the heads of your sons, etc.” It went on to state many other lies, only the part about the arms was true. However, the captain of Melaka had sent that embassy in the name of Your Majesty, as the captains of Melaka have been empowered to do. The letter sent by the captain of Melaka was contained in a golden document tube sealed with his seal, and in it, after first stating the titles of the king, our Lord, and then those of the king of Siam, he had requested the king of Siam to release the [Portuguese] captives he was holding in his lands. [The captain affirmed] that Melaka was a friend of Siam and that Siam was a friend of Melaka, and that he was sending him that present in the name of the king, his Lord. Ms. payluan. See the glossary (payluan). Ms. cuerpo de armas. AO: Partij wapens. Possibly a “translation” of the Portuguese corpo de armas, a “complete set of armour.” Complete sets of armour often featured as formal gifts in this period, as specifically the examples listed in LM, I, p. 351 (20 February 1610) and LM, II p. 161 (13 February 1612). In addition, the Spanish term may also indicate some thing to do with...