The Embassy of Sir Thomas Roe to the Court of the Great Mogul 19.4.4

19.4.4

and Kerridge expressed a strong hope that the expected fleet from England would drive them away, "for such," he said, "is their practice against the English wher or whensoeuer they have power to effect it." Roe's reply, however, was : "concerning the Hollander I haue receiued instructions from England how to deale — not by force, as you intended ;" and, although he spared no pains to secure their dismissal, he was careful to avoid all show of hostility. For a fuller account the narrative of the Dutch commander, Pieter van den Broecke, published at Amsterdam in 1648, should be consulted. Therein he expressly says that "the English did their best with presents and bribes to cause our departure ;" and in his letter to the Directors at Amsterdam describing his voyage (I. O. Records : Hague Transcripts, Series i, vol. ii, No. 73) he specifies the amount thus given as 800 rials. He also mentions that there was an English ambassador at court with a large train of from twenty-five to thirty men.