News out of East India: Of the cruel and bloody usage of our English Merchants and others at Amboyna, by the Netherlandish Governor and Council there.  
To the tune of Braggendary.  
 depiction of scenes of torture and execution: a half-naked man hanging stretched in an X on a door frame, his face bound, while a man on a stool pours water over his head and another man tickles him under the arm with feathers; a second half-naked man kneeling in prayer with his hands bound while another man stands behind him with a drawn sword raised to strike; a third half-naked man sitting on the ground  

FRom India Land such news I have,  
of death and deadly dole,  
As may enforce a deep remorse,  
to each good Christian soul.  
To think what English blood was shed,  
Upon a small occasion bred.  
Oh heaven look down,  
upon poor innocent souls.   

Between the English and the Dutch,  
hath been a long debate:  
And mischiefs many hath been wrought,  
against our Merchant's state,  
Where Merchantmen have lost their lives,  
Their goods, their children, and their wives:  
Oh heaven look down,  
upon poor innocent souls.   

A town there stands Amboyna called.  
a Castle in the same;  
Made rich by these Low-Country States,  
and Merchants of great name:  
Who on a time a plot devised,  
To have our Englishmen surprised.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

They gave out words our Englishmen,  
by secret treason wrought,  
The town and Castle to blow up,  
and so in question brought,  
Our English Merchants dwelling there,  
With all that held our Country dear.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

Their Governor a Council called,  
and yet no reason why,  
That twenty of our Englishmen  
should there their causes try:  
And answer for a thing not done,  
Nor any way there thought upon.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

To cruel tortures day by day,  
our English thus were brought:  
Where strange tormenting instruments  
upon their bodies wrought:  
To make them all confess and say,  
They sought Amboyna to betray.  
Oh heaven look down, &.   

The first they laid upon a Rack,  
with arms and legs abroad,  
And spread him, till he did confess  
and most untruly showed,  
How that our Englishmen conspired,  
To have the town and castle fired.  
Oh heaven look down,  
upon poor innocent souls.   

The second Part,  
To the same tune.  

THe second of these woeful men,  
they bond unto a stake:  
And throttle him about the neck,  
till he could hardly speak.  
Which cruel torments to avoid,  
Said that the town should be destroyed.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

The third they bond in Iron chains,  
which gripped him so sore,  
That all his body round about,  
did gush out bloody gore:  
From which to find some ease he said,  
Amboyna should have been betrayed.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

They whipped the fourth man at a post,  
unjustly without fault:  
And washed his bloody body over,  
with vinegar and salt.  
And to the fifth like punishment,  
Though to no ill he gave consent.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

With water they stuffed up the sixth,  
until his body swelled:  
The seventh likewise with twisted cord,  
most barbarously compelled,  
To say our English friends were those,  
That were the townsmen's greatest foes.  
Oh heaven look down,   

The eight with burning pincers pulled,  
made challenge of the rest:  
Though most untrue, to ease himself,  
and so false things confessed.  
So did the nynth by their pretence,  
Bring in most wrongful evidence.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

The tenth they hung up by the arms  
two foot above the ground:  
And so with scorching candles burned  
his back and body round:  
With all the other parts about,  
Till drops of fat the lights put out.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

The rest of these distressed souls,  
were used in like sort:  
At which the cruel Governor,  
made his tormenting sport.  
Till nynetéene of our Englishmen,  
Felt more than common tortures then.  
Oh heaven look down,  
upon poor innocent souls   

Then Captain Towerson came in place,  
to answer with the rest:  
To whom was told the treason was  
by those before confessed.  
Though all as false as God was true,  
Yet they affirm, the same he knew.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

For which his goods were seized on,  
which all our English had:  
And so unto the judgement seat,  
as traitors they were led.  
And there unjustly judged to dye,  
Which was performed immediately,  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

Ten of our men they hanged forthwith,  
the other ten went free:  
Which was a wrongful judgement given,  
and full of grief to see.  
That after all these torments past,  
They thus should suffer death at last.  
Oh heaven look down, etc.   

But on the execution day,  
as God did so dispose,  
A sudden darkness and a gust  
of violent winds arose.  
Which cast two of their ships away,  
As they at road in harbour lay.  
Thus heaven looks down, etc.   

Yea here to make God's vengeance more,  
the chiefest of that plot.  
In this tormenting of our friends,  
as then escaped not,  
But felt Gods heavy Iron hand,  
And could no way the same withstand,  
Thus Heaven looks down etc.   

For coming to the graves where as  
the murdered bodies lay:  
He fell stark mad, and would not thence,  
with life depart away.  
But died most strangely in that place,  
Even as a wretch bereft of grace:  
Thus heaven looks down, etc.   

Thus have you heard what bloody deeds,  
were late in India done:  
To make us all in England here,  
with sorrow to think upon,  
What sad misfortune should be hap,  
To take our friends in such a trap,  
Yet heaven looks down,  
Upon poor innocent souls.     

The names of those executed.  

1 Captain Gabriel Towerson.  
2 Samuel Colson Factor.  
3 Emanuel Tomson Assistant.  
4 Timothy johnson Assistant.  
5 john Wetherall Factor.  
6 john Clarke Assistant.  
7 William Griggs Factor.  
8 Abel Price Chirurgeon.  
9 Robert Browne Taylor.  
10 john Fardo steward of the English house.  
As also nine native Indians suffered together with them.    

The names of those pardoned.  

1 john Beaumont.  
2 Edward Collins.  
3 William Webber.  
4 Ephraim Ramsey.  
5 George Sharocke.  
6 john Sadler.  
7 john powel.  
8 Thomas Ladbrooke.  
9 A Portugal.    

You may read more of this bloody Tragedy in a book printed by authory. 1624.   

Printed at London for F. Coules, dwelling at the upper end of the Old-Baily.