CHAPTER V.
THE BREACH BETWEEN THE FRENCH AND THE USURPER.
The revolution was managed so adroitly, that there were no perceptible changes in public affairs. The palace was the scene of some disturbance, but outside, everything was peaceful. Pitracha who had succeeded quietly to the throne went to the capital where he was proclaimed King amid the shouts of the multitude. The chief offices of state were held by men of his faction and scorning the baseness of revenge, as soon as there appeared nothing more to fear from their actions, he promoted all those of whom he had previously cause to complain. The people were relieved and his alms to the needy won the hearts of all. He married the daughter of the late King. At first this Princess was averse to the union, but fired by ambition, she preferred life rather than the death which would have been her portion in event of a refusal.
The negociations with the French had been brought to a successful termination and it was agreed that ships and sailors should be provided to convey them to Pondicherry, and, as a guarantee of good faith the King sent his two sons who had been at court up to that time to the French commander. All the officers who had been arrested at Louvo, were released and from them the details were forthcoming of the humiliations that they and the Christians of different nationalities had suffered. The Seminary had been give over to pillage; the Christian virgins became the prey of the licentious soldiery, the most favoured of them however being reserved for the harems. The missionary priests were put in the pillory whence they gave an example to their flock of how to suffer in silence.
While preparations were being made for the departure of the French; their open-hearted generosity very nearly caused an awkward complication of affairs. Madame Faulcon too weak to endure the hardships of slavery, asked the Bishop of Métellopolis to gain the interest of the French commander on her behalf, and to make arrangements that she might take her departure on board one of their ships. The Bishop spoke greatly in her favour, but Des Farges, with more diplomacy than gratitude replied that he was obliged to wait until the Siamese had supplied him with everything needful for the voyage and that when all was ready, he would consider her request. She, however, had grave reasons for hastening her departure and every moment of delay was vital.
The son of the King, worn out by debauchery, had conceived a violent passion for her. She would have considered herself guilty of the death of her husband had she shared the couch of his murderer. To gain her consent, in vain did he point out that by this act alone she could regain her position and rescue her son from the vengeance of his enemies. The brave woman replied. "Are you unaware who I was and how I have lived. My religion forbids so sinful a marriage. I loved my husband with all my soul, and, faithful to his memory, my heart is closed against any new passion. My son is dear to me and I ought to live for his sake, but I refuse to buy life at such a price as you offer."
The young Prince, whose passions knew no restraint thought he would be able to conquer her proud spirit by the most tempting promises. But he met with so stubborn a resistance, that he showed his affection in a tyrannical fashion. She was carried off to the palace where she had no defence other than her tears and outcries.
The Prince, fearing that this abduction would reveal the secret of his debauched life to his father, already annoyed at his disorderly conduct, determined to send her back, saying, that as she still persisted in her resistance, there was nothing left for her but to die with her son. She took no notice of these threats, she preferred to die in innocence than to live in guilt. Her grandfather aged 88 who was a descendant of the famous martyrs of Japan, upheld her resolution.
A slighted affection, often becomes cruel. The Prince in order to frighten her, caused her to be arraigned on a charge of embezzlement. She was summoned before a tribunal and the judge although convinced of her innocence ordered her to receive 100 strokes with the rod. She was delivered to her merciless executioners who seeing her faint under the punishment; only administered one half of what had been ordered. Her relations were also punished, she had to endure the agonising spectacle of beholding two of her uncles, two aunts and her eldest brother undergoing tortures before her eyes. Her grandfather would have suffered likewise, had not mercy been shown to him on account of his infirmities.
While this courageous woman seemed to have nothing but sorrow as her portion for the future, Sainte Marie, a young French officer offered to escort her in safety to Bangkok. She was too unhappy to listen to prudent advice. She embarked with her son in secret on a vessel belonging to this officer, determined to risk all if she could but escape from her persecutors.
Her arrival at the fort was a signal for general rejoicing but the commander alone showed his disapproval, and had the pusillanimity to wish that she should be sacrificed, rather than that a drop of French blood should be spilt in her defence. "Alas" she exclaimed, "is Faulcon's widow, the sole person who will have failed to find sanctuary under the flag of France."
The King, on hearing of her escape, was convinced that she had carried off a quantity of valuables with her. He at once sent two officials to bring her back, and, in case of a refusal, to recommence hostilities.
As soon as the report of her arrival had spread, the French were seized with a burning desire to fight to the death for her sake. The tears of the unfortunate widow, the youth of her son, and the memory of her husband who had been the protector of the French interests were telling points in her favour. The officers and soldiers were unanimous, and all declared that they would rather face death than the shame of having betrayed the cause of a a distressed woman who had thrown herself on their protection.
Des Farges, unshakable in his resolution to send her back to Siam, made arrangements with M. de Métellopolis whose outspokeness and skill well fitted him for the negociation of such delicate business. The Bishop had need of all his urbanity to break such distressing news to her. He found that she was firmly resolved not to return to Siam on any account short of actual force. She waited for several days, her mind wavering between hope and fear until one day a French officer came to inform her that she must make her preparations for her departure.
There was nothing for it but to obey, and she solemnly protested against the violence which snatched her from the protection of the French flag. The official who had been sent to bring her back came to conduct her to the river side where a vessel was lying in readiness. She was accompanied by her son, by one woman and a missionary whose zeal sustained her drooping courage. Her distress became the more acute the further she went from the spot from whence she had been thrust forth, abandoned by the French whom she still could only regard as friends. The sight of Siam rendered her grief more poignant; for there lay the scene of the punishment of her husband and there that she expected to undergo new tortures and to be parted for ever from her son, the sole prop of her existance.
Her lot was happier than she had hoped. The son of the King, rebuffed by her scorn, no longer desired her, or what is more likely was too much afraid of his father to give rise to fresh scenes of violence and scandal. She was appointed to the Royal Kitchens. In the opinion of the Siamese, this is an honourable post and by no means a humiliation. She had two thousand women under her orders, as palace servants. She was entrusted with the care of the gold and silver plate, of the King's wardrobe and of all the fruits served at table. Her lack of self interest made her despise the valuable perquisites of her office and, very different to her predecessors, handed over a considerable sum every year to the royal treasury. The King of Siam, surrounded by corrupt and rapacious officials was astonished to see such honesty, and often said that only Christians could carry the scorn of wealth to such a pitch.
Although she was not so unhappy as she had anticipated, she suffered considerably from the fact that her son had been taken away from her. For a long time she feared that his education had been entrusted to the idolatrous priests, but she was much relieved to hear that he was being brought up at the Seminary in charge of the Bishop and the French missionaries.
Her son afterwards obtained a captaincy in the Siamese navy, on the
Coromandel coast. In 1749, he was entrusted with a mission to M.
Dupleix who at that time was Governor-General of the French
possessions in the East Indies.
The governor, a man of sound abilities though not brilliant, remembered that he had to deal with the son of one who had been a friend to his nation. He considered that it was his duty to give him substantial proofs of the gratitude the French owed him, by granting him exemption from all taxes levied on foreigners.
He sent him back, satisfied with the success of his mission and gave him many valuable gifts. The name of Dupleix will ever be graven on our annals devoted to citizens who have benefited their country.
Faulcon, on his return to Siam was favourably received. Having inherited his father's abilities he might have risen to a high position. But lavish as his father had been, he desired wealth merely for the purpose of making presents to Princes and Kings. His bounties, which ensured his favour at Court, exhausted his resources. He died in poverty in 1754, leaving his wife a son and several daughters in absolute want. One of his daughters married a Dutch shipmaster, who was ruined by the loss of his vessel few years afterwards.
She soon lost her husband and when the Siamese were led in captivity to Pegu, she was married again to a Portuguese half-caste by name Jeanchi, a captain of Burmese regiment, He will be spoken of later.
The other daughters did not long survive their father. There remains only a son named John Faulcon, married to a Portuguese in Siam. The Burmese took him prisoner, but evading the vigilence of his guards, escaped to Siam with his wife where they lived in obscurity.
Such were the posterity of the celebrated Constantine Faulcon who, of humble origin, raised himself to the steps of the throne.
The obstacle, to the conclusion of the negociations with the French which had been caused by the flight of Madame Faulcon, was removed by her return. Both parties were equally anxious to come to an agreement. The French were desirous of leaving a land where they would only encounter fruitless and inglorious perils. The Siamese could not but be uneasy while they still retained guests, of whose heroic valour they had had such an experience. I cannot refrain from citing two examples of the intrepid courage of these brave men.
Saint Cri, a French captain was sailing downstream in a boat, the
Indian crew of which were all drunk and incapable, and he had only two
Europeans with him who were ready for any emergency.
The Siamese, seeing his defenceless condition made preparations to board his vessel.
One of the two Europeans became terrified and swam off to parley with them, but he was taken prisoner and loaded with chains. Saint Cri, too weak to offer any resistance, feared lest he should fall into the hands of these savages. Death appeared to be a preferable alternative to slavery and brave to desperation as he had but one soldier with him, put his powder and handgrenades on the bridge. He calmly waited till a large number of Siamese had boarded his ship, and then, fired his powder and blew his enemies into the air.
The ship, damaged by the explosion, ran aground.
The Siamese, thinking that all the powder had been used up, imagined that it would be an easy matter to seize the vessel. But Saint Cri gave them cause to repent their rashness. He fired some bags of powder that he had kept in reserve and although he himself was among the slain, this explosion was more deadly than the first. His companion, sword in hand gained the shore. The savages fell upon him, and, overwhelmed by numbers, he perished, but not before he had slain five of his assailants.
Another case bore witness to the inflexible purpose of the French commander, whose two sons had been retained as hostages in the capital. The King made them write to their father saying, that if the garrison were not brought to Louvo, they would be put to death. The commander, although devoted to his children, remembered his duties to the state. He replied "My children I Feel as much for your sad condition as you do yourselves, I would willingly lay down my life in order to save yours. I cannot but urge you to follow my example and to be faithful to duty. If you perish remember that you are dying for your God, your King, and your country and be sure that your deaths will not be unpunished."
Such heroic conduct had made the name of Frenchmen to be feared, and caused the Siamese to hasten their departure. They were supplied with three frigates, and to ensure that the ships should be returned, the Bishop of Métellopolis, the chief of the French trading company, and the two sons of the commander were given over as hostages. The troops marched out of the fortress on the first of November 1688, taking with them two officials as sureties for the King's word. During the night they sailed down to the mouth of the river.
The French commander invited the officials who had come with the French hostages to a great feast. After the meal the Siamese hostages were asked for, but Des Farges said that he would not return them until the four vessels bearing the baggage, three officers and fourteen soldiers, hove in sight. The officials, learning of this refusal hastened to inform the Barcalon.
This official was highly incensed at the breach of faith on the part of the French. He summoned M. de Métellopolis and said "These careless officials will be severely punished for having released the French hostages before receiving our own. You and I will both be involved in the trouble. You will be considered as the accomplice of the French treachery and I shall be punished for having confided the matter to untrustworthy persons. Let us find some way of escape from the danger common to us both."
The bishop, who had not been informed of the plans of Des Farges, neither dared to lay the blame on him, nor to find excuses.
They agreed that if one of the hostages were given up, the Siamese would deliver over a third part of what they were retaining and that the remainder would set out for the mouth of the river whenever the last of the officials should have set sail.
Des Farges released one official on the spot, but as he had given the first example of bad faith, the Siamese considered that they were at liberty to break their word also, and, instead of sending down the ships, demanded with threats, that the other two hostages should be restored.
M. de Métellopolis wrote a pathetic letter to the commander, pointing out how his line of action would cause the ruin of the French and of the growing Church. The inflexible resolution of Des Farges could not be shaken and after having waited five days for the fulfilment of the Barcalon's promises, he set sail for Malacca en route for Pondicherry taking with him the hostages who were of no possible use to him.