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The long aftermath of the traumatic events on Amboyna in 1623: a serious obstacle in Anglo-Dutch relations

[PAMPHLETS - EAST INDIA].
A true relation of the unjust, cruell, and barbarous proceedings against the English at Amboina in the East-Indies, by the Netherlandish Governour, and Councell there.
Also the copy of a pamphlet, set forth first in Dutch and then in English, by some Netherlander; falsely intituled, A True declaration of the newes that came out of the East-Indies with the pinace called the Hare, which arrived at Texel in June 1624.
Together with an answer to the same pamphlet. By the English East-India Company. The third impression.

With a full-page woodcut frontispiece of an English sailor cruely tortured by the Dutch and 2 engraved armorial head-pieces.

London, G. Purslowe for Nathaniell Newberry, 1632. Sm. 4to. 19th-century light-brown calf with gilt rules on both sides and a title label on the spine lettered in gold, inner dentelles, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. With a full-page woodcut frontispiece of an English sailor cruely tortured by the Dutch and 2 engraved armorial head-pieces. (10), 38; (2), 20; 34 pp.

With:
(2) With a separate title-page: A TRANSLATE OF A DUTCH PAMPHLET, entituled, A true declaration of the news that came out of the East-Indies, with the pinace called the Hare, which arrived in Texel, in June. 1624. Concerning a conspiracy discovered in the Iland of Amboyna, and the punishment following thereupon, according to the course of justice, in March 1624. comprehended in a letter missive; and sent from a friend in the Low-Countries, to a friend of note in England, for information of him in the truth of those passages. The third impression. Printed Anno 1632. (2), 20 pp.

(3) with separate pagination but without a separate title-page: AN ANSWER TO THE DUTCH RELATION, touching the pretended conspiracie of the English Amboyna in the Indies. 34 pp.

Rare second (or third as mentioned on the title?) edition of this collected anti-Dutch pamphlets relating the horrible events happened in 1623 on the island Amboyna - an island between Sulawesi and New Guinee in present Indonesia. The incident turned out to be traumatic for the English and spoiled the Anglo-Dutch relations during the rest of the seventeenth century. It even played an important role in the outbreak of the first Anglo-Dutch war in 1652 as Cromwell refered to the incident in his declaration of war.
To prevent friction between the Dutch and the English traders in the East Indies an agreement was made in 1619, but it was soon violated. After serious incidents in 1621 in which year the Dutch fleet forceably took possession of the English stations of Loktor on Banda and Pulau Run, the Dutch at Ambon (Amboyna) accused the English of conspiring to take the Dutch fort by surprise. The Dutch imprisoned, tortured and executed the English in an horrible way during February and March 1623 on trumped-up charges by the Dutch authorities at Amboyna, typical of the ruthlessness of the Dutch East India Company when it deemed its monopoly of the Archipelago was encroached on.
The news reached Holland by ship (named 'The Hare') in June 1624 and immediately pamphlets were published on the issue (Waerachtich verhael van de tijdinghen gecomen wt de Oost-Indien, met het jacht de Haze, in Junio 1624 in Texel aenghelandt (1624; several editions; Kn.3546-47; Landwehr 86). On the instigation of the British Ambassador Carleton the pamphlet was condemned by the States General in the next month (Kn. 3548). The second pamphlet in our copy (A Translate of a Dutch pamphlet ...) is the translation of this Waerachtigh verhael ...
The English reaction, the first pamphlet (A true Relation ...), was published in the same year in London by H. Lownes for the same Nathaniel Newberry and is attributed to Sir Dudley Digges who was sent to Holland in 1620 to try to reach a settlement of the points in dispute between the English East India Company and the Dutch. The pamphlet records the indignant torturing and execution of the English prisoners by the Dutch who are also accused of severe cruelty against the Portugese and the Japanese.
The third pamphlet contains the translation of the refutation of that accusation by the English (Antwoorde van de Duytsche relatie, aengaende die ghepretendeerde conspiratie vande Enghelschen in Amboyna ... (1624; Kn. 3551; Landwehr 90).
The collection was republished several times: in 1651, 1654, 1754 and it was reprinted in 1971 (The English experience, 306).

Good copy.- (Esp. the first lvs. waterstained, including the frontispiece which is also strengthened; browned throughout; rebacked).

Knuttel 4205a; Landwehr, VOC, 88, note; Tiele 2064; Cox I, 267-68.

Related Subjects: 17th Century Colonial History East Indies England History Netherlands

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