occasion to it: who went about to destroy them and their country: and particularly insisted upon such things as might be plausible to strangers, such as keeping the Ambassadors, discouraging trade, detaining of foreigners that came upon his land, besides his cruelties towards themselves that were his natural people. All which, they told us, they had been informed was contrary to the government of other countries; and now so soon as their business was settled, they assured us, they would detain none that were minded to go to their own country.
Being now at Kandy, on Christmas Day, of all the days in the year; they sent to call us to the Court, and gave us some money and clothes first, to make us the more willing to take up arms; which they intended then to deliver unto us, and to go with them upon a design to fall upon the old King in the palace whither he was fled. But in the very interim of time, GOD being merciful unto us; the Prince with his aunt fled: which so amazed and discouraged them, that the money and clothes which they were distributing to us and other strangers, to gain us over to them, they scattered about the courtyard; and fled themselves. And now followed nothing but the cutting of one another's throats, to make themselves appear the more loyal subjects and make amends for their former rebellion.
We, for our parts, little thinking in what danger we were, fell into a scramble among the rest, to get what we could of the money that was strewed about; being then in great necessity and want. For the allowance which formerly we had, was in this disturbance lost; and so we remained without it for some three months; the want of which, this money did help to supply.
Having gotten what we could at the Court, we made our way to get out of the hurly-burly, to our lodgings: intending, as we were strangers and prisoners, neither to meddle nor to make on the one side or the other; being well satisfied, if GOD would but permit us quietly to sit and eat such a Christmas dinner together, as He had prepared for us.
For our parts, we had no other dealings with the rebels, than to desire them to permit us to go to our native country; which liberty they promised we should not want long. But being sent for by them to the Court, we durst not but go;
