To the Right Honourable the Knights, Citizens and Burgesses Assembled in Parliament.  
The Answer of the East-India-Company, to Two Printed Papers of Mr. Samuel White, One Entitled His Case; The other, A True Account of the Passages at Mergen.  
NOT to trouble the Honourable House with hard Reflections upon the Complainant, or Rhetorical flourishes which prove nothing but his passion and want of solid grounds to support his Complaint, or justify himself. We shall only exhibit to your Honours the plain proofs of Fact, we have received from India; which we presume will evince the Complainant, not only to be a very ill man, but a great Interloper, and a great Enemy to this Kingdom in general, and the premeditated contriver of the deaths of those English Men, whom he and his Accomplices had first inveigled into the King of Syam's service, and afterwards destroyed in a time of Truce, by wicked Arts, particularised in the annexed proofs; when he observed they were resolved to return to their duty to His Majesty, and the public service of their own Country.  
By the annexed proofs, we think it will likewise appear how little distinction he made between the King of Syam's Estate, and his own; and how often he pleased to call Ships and their whole Lading sometimes his own, and sometimes the same Ships again the King of Syam's, as would best serve his present designs; and therefore he might as well say he acquired three times the Estate he claims, as half of that he pretends to have had.  
The annexed proofs we think do likewise detect his forgeing Commissions under the King of Syam's Ministers Seals, to justify his making War upon the Companies Allies, Subjects of the King of Gulcondah; by his own private Commission, not only without the King of Syam's consent, but expressly against his Order. In which War so made by his private Commission, several Towns were burnt, many Men killed, Ships and Vessels rifled, taken, and destroyed: and amongst them divers of the Companies Subjects under His Majesty, Inhabitants of their City of Madrasse, some of whom he made Slaves, and all this not only to the damage of the Company above 30000 pounds, but to the great scandal and dishonour of the English Nation, English Deserters being employed by him in those Lawless and Injurious attempts.  
By the Dutch Laws in India who are a Nation as tenacious of their Liberty, as any people upon Earth, and by the Laws and practices of all other European Nations; there a Deserter or Interloper is not only to be confiscated, but to suffer death: although the English Judicatures in India have never proceeded in such Cases, further than according to their Charters to condemn such Interlopers Ships and Goods, one half for the use of His Majesty, and the other half to the Companies use. And if they should not have power so to do, the whole Trade of India would unavoidably fall to the Dutch and French, as hath been made evident in many hear at the Council-Table in the Two last Reigns, as well as in more ancient times, and by several Treatises in Print.  
As to the grounds of the War with the King of Syam, occasioned by his Grand Visier or Chief Minister Constantine Phaulkon, who was a poor Fellow, formerly Steward's Mate of a small ship of the Companies. We humbly conceive there will be no doubt made by considering Gentlemen, but that the grounds of that War were not only just but very cogent; considering His late Majesty King James moved by the necessity of the Case, gave Commissions of War under the great Seal of England, against the King of Syam and His Subjects, notwithstanding Phaulkon had made a strong Confederacy between his Master and the French, turned Papist himself; and as the Company are informed sent his Son to be Educated a Papist in France, made curious Presents of great value to the Pope, the late King James and His Queen, and also to the French King. But if your Honours think it proper to require further satisfaction, touching the reasons of that War, and the success of it, the Company will be ready to present your Honours with a larger Narrative thereof.  
That Phaulkon and his Creatures Mr. White, Burnebey, etc. were kind to some of the Companies Servants at Madrasse, and to the Captain of the Curtana, especially, who was at last made his own entirely contrary to his duty, as appears evidently by the annexed proofs, and in many other instances to particular persons, the Company believe may be true. And it is one of the particulars that they did justly complain of to His late Majesty, That Phaulkon by great Rewards, as well, as by great wages, and kind inveigling Words, did endeavour to indulge many of the Companies Servants, Commanders and Seamen, but all with a design of corrupting them from their Fidelity, Duty, and Service to the Company, that he might in time become strong enough in European Seamen and Soldiers, with the Aid of the French King, English Interlopers, and English and Dutch Fugitives; to oppress first the English Company in India, and at last the Dutch. But on the other hand, such of the English as he found true to the Company, and their common Country, he used with the greatest contempt and barbarity imaginable; as particularly Mr. Potts, he caused to be beaten by Cofferies' or Negro, which is in India understood, accounted, and intended to be a public affront to the Nation of which any person so abused is a Member. Mr. Strang, Mr. Crouch and others, which he could not draw to his Lure, he used with the greatest unkindness. Captain Lake in a strange manner he brought to his death, of which a more particular account shall be given if it be required.  
As to what was formerly Printed in any News Papers (which is not pertinent to this Case) the Company say in truth, They never gave out any Paper or any Intelligence to the Secretaries of state, but what were exactly according to their advices from India. And if the first advices from such remote places, prove not exactly correspondent to the Events, and all the Circumstances of Fact, They do not conceive themselves  for such mistakes of their advisers. But they cannot by the later advices or the proofs annexed, see any considerable Error in these first advices they received from India, more than that a very few of the Companies Soldiers or Servants perished in that Massacre, with the rest of their Countrymen, that had been formerly Interlopers or Deserters.  
On the whole matter, and in answer to all other Complaints of Interlopers; The Company say, they have done nothing but what they conceive they are warranted to do by their Charter, and which they thought themselves bound in Conscience to perform to the utmost of their power for the public good of this Kingdom and of Posterity; which They have more zealously pursued than any proper Interest of their own, or of the Adventurers; well knowing that the Navigation of this Kingdom, and indeed of all European Nations, depends most upon the support of the East-India Trade, and that the East-India Trade cannot possibly be supported without Interlopers and Deserters be corrected and discouraged, by inflicting the several Penalties on all Transgressor's of that kind. And this agrees to the Wisdom of all Nations that have spent a serious thought concerning the East-India Trade; which is the true reason that neither a French, Dutch, Danish or Portugal Interloper, without the Consent of their proper Companies, or the respective Sovereign of those countries', was ever heard of to the Companies knowledge, to sail from Europe into those Eastern seas. The reason of which consent of Nations in this matter is as manifest as the Sun at noon day. For that the English Company having now and necessarily so many Towns, Forts, and Garrisons, Ships of War and Tenders, cannot maintain them under the expense of 200000 l. per annum. Besides the infinite Charge of Presents, Buildings, Guards, and Demorage of ships that must frequently attend and be relieved, and recruited for it may be 6, 7, or 10 years together before such a Fortification or New settlement will be strongly fixed, so as to be able to defend itself without shipping often in the Road, and in a condition to produce any revenue towards the public Charge.  
As to the Sovereign or Despotical Power exercised by the Company in India, which the Complainant plays with in his Printed Papers. The Company say, and all wise men in the Affairs of India know, that the Company exercise no power, but what they had by their Charter, neither have any power by Their Charter other than such as the Dutch have by their Rocktroy or Charter. Or if the Company should have less, it would be impossible for them, whenever the Dutch should be out of humour, to maintain the remainder of the English Interest in India, but all would be lost as easily as the Spice Islands were in the last age, and Macassar or Bantam in This, it being as impossible to defend the English interest without equal powers from our Sovereigns, as the Dutch Company have from theirs, as it is to fight the French with a great Army not under the discipline of Martial Law.  
The Company do not desire to boast of the success God Almighty has given to their just Arms, nor of their present condition. But since there are so many Detractors who for private ends take the Liberty of discoursing what they please to Gentlemen, very knowing in other Affairs, though unable to disprove them in this Foreign business (which they have not occasion by their acquaintance or converse in affairs of those Remote parts to be experienced in) have thought fit to add to this a brief account of the present state of the English interest in India, and of what hath been transacted for the public good and honour of the English Nation these last 7 or 8 years, which they humbly hope will be found to be more than ever was performed by the English in India in the whole time foregoing, since the first Institution of the East-India Company in the beginning of Queen Elizabeth's Reign, and that the Estate and Power of the East-India Company is now double to what it was in any former age.  
To the Accusation of Captain Andrews, The Company think it is enough to say at present, That he is a known ingenuous worthy man, and a great lover of his Country, and that he had His Majesty's Commission under the great Seal of England, to make War against the King of Syam and his Subjects, and there is no doubt, but according to his duty he would fight, kill and slay, all that made resistance on board any Syam's ship, whether the Resisters were natural Syammers, or English or other European Deserters in the King of Syam's service, against their Native King and Country. But the Company do not believe Captain Andrews did any thing unworthily, or beyond his Commission as is suggested.  
The Case of the Company is very hard (or rather the Condition of England would be very deplorable) if those very men, the Interlopers, and their Adherents, that by an unparallelled Instance of Presumption, never heard of before, in this or any other Christian Nation, by divers Ships made such a Combustion in India, as occasioned the loss of Bantam to the Dutch, the Rebellions of Bombay and St. Helena, the subduction of all the English Privileges by the Native Kings of India, and consequently great Wars and Bloodshed, to recover those Rights to the English Nation, should now hope to be received, as the Asserters of the Rights of the People of England, as if our unvaluable Liberty should be Converted into Licentiousness, and the Ruin of our common Country by a Toleration, to join with Heathens and Papists in actual Hostility against this Kingdom, to destroy the English Interest in India. It is not long since the Company faithfully defended the English Interest in the Case of Bantam against eminent Dutch Civilians, and the Mercenary Ferocity of the late Lord Chancellor, of which Contests the Arguments on both sides are extant in print. That was no sooner over, but they were forced by Arms to reduce the Rebels of Bombay and St. Helena; and after that was over, to engage in a dangerous War against two great Princes, the Great Mogul, and the King of Syam; The latter being supported by an Alliance with France as aforesaid: In which Wars, God was pleased to give them extraordinary Success beyond their own hopes and the Opinion of all men, English and Foreigners, that were acquainted with India, and the power of those two Great Princes: And now after the Company had at their great Expense, and with God's wonderful Blessing, settled the English Interest in India upon a more regular, strong, durable, and better Foundation, to the great Honour of the English Nation, than ever it was since Queen Elizabeth's days. The very same sort of men that occasioned all those Disorders, Rebellions, Confusion, War, and Bloodshed, have the Confidence to appear, to accuse the Company for their strenuous and lawful endeavours grounded upon the King's Prerogative and Authority extra England, Wales and Berwick to vindicate the Honour and Interest of this Kingdom in those remote parts of the World.  
The Company hope all Gentlemen know that the Government of those Eastern parts of the World are merely Despotical, and that the never sufficiently to be admired and beloved, Common and Statute Laws of this Kingdom are plants too precious to be understood or grow so far Eastward, or in any other soil, but that of our Blessed Native Country; As also that the Company have no power to press or compel any Englishman into their service, all that go thither are Petitioners for their Employments or Volunteers, and must be presumed to go upon the Companies own Terms, and the Companies Laws there established by His Majesty's Authority. Besides which, the Company never send any such Volunteers abroad of any degree, but if when they come to India, or have stayed any time there, although they be formally bound by Indentures for 5 years, if at any time they like not the Laws, Usages, Rules or Customs of the Company or the Country; the Company gives them Liberty to return home at their own pleasure, notwithstanding their aforesaid Indentures, they paying the Companies Charge of their Transportation out; so that no Englishman can pretend to be enslaved or oppressed in India by the Company, as is untruly suggested, except even in his own sense he be willing before he goes out and continues to be willing so to be, after he comes there.  
The annexed proofs do make it not only suspicious, but too manifest that Captain Weltden Commander of the Curtana, though he was true to his Trust at his first Arrival at Mergen was afterwards corrupted by Mr. White's Arts, for which Captain Weltden was intended to be questioned by the Court of Admiralty at Madrass.  
The Companies General of India, Sir John Child, who hath lived about 35 years in that Country without ever seeing his own, is a Person of known Sobriety, Wisdom, Truth and Courage, esteemed and beloved by People of all Nations in India that have so much Ingenuity as to acknowledge Virtue in an Enemy; something whereof will occur to every man's Observation, that knows he managed that hazardous War against the Mogul with such success and moderation that he took almost all the Moguls and Subjects Ships sailing in and out of Surrat, without spilling a drop of their Blood, and dismissed the Prisoners with  and Money in their Pockets, which gained such a Reputation to our Nation, even amongst the Moors themselves, that they became universally Advocates and Solicitors to the Mogul for the Pacification. Upon which unconstrained, he delivered back all the Moors Ships, except Abdul Gophors, who was a great Incendiary towards the War, and who is therefore left by the Mogul to the General's further Revenge, notwithstanding the Peace made with his great Majesty, and all the rest of his Subjects.