Page:Early English adventurers in the East (1917).djvu/226

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page has been proofread, but needs to be validated.
222
EARLY ENGLISH ADVENTURERS IN THE EAST

lings stood staggering and devising of some probable fiction the fiscal holpe him and said: 'Should not two Japans have gone to each point of the castle and two to the governor's chamber door and when the hurly burly had bin without and the governor coming to see what was the matter the Japaners would have killed him?'"

Eventually Collings agreed to all that was asked and was dismissed, "and very glad to come clear of his torture though with certain belief that he should die for his confession."

Upon Coulson fell the next summons, and when after the usual process he had been brought out "weeping, lamenting and protesting his innocency," Clark was put to the torture. He proved the most resolute of the party. After he had been plied with water "till his body was swolne twice or thrice as big as before, his cheeks like great bladders and his eyes staring and strutting out beyond his forehead" and still refused to speak, the fiscal and his tormenters "reviled him saying that he was the devil and no man, or surely was a witch, or at least had some charm about him or was enchanted that he should bear so much." Having thus vented their feelings upon the wretched man, they "cut off his hair very short as supposing he had some witchcraft hidden therein."

Subsequently they again applied the torture, burning him with candles "until his inwards might evidently be seen," when at length, "wearied and overcome with the torments he answered 'Yea' to whatsoever they asked." At length, "having martyred this pore man, they sent him out with four blacks who carried him between them to a dungeon where he lay for five or six days without a surgeon to dress his wounds."