The vanity of the Siamese was immensely tickled by the fact that a King, whose power had humbled the pride of Holland, the only country dreaded in the Indies, had sought alliance with them.
The first result of this embassy was the restitution of the Seminary, which by the energy of the Bishop of Métellopolis was soon restored.
An Armenian lent him a large sum which M. Deslandes, the head of the
French trading station at Surat had the generosity to repay.
The zeal of the missionaries had become more active under the stress of persecution and they did their utmost to minister to the needs of the sufferers. The prelate, frightened by the despair which had caused them to beg for death, offered to stand surety for them to the King. The respect inspired by his virtues granted his wish and on the faith of his promise, the others obtained their freedom.
The Seminary was over-crowded with 113 people, who were destitute of both food and clothing. The prelate deprived himself of the necessaries of life so as to relieve their more pressing wants. No one knew how he managed to do what he did, but generosity is never exhausted by gifts. The King himself was astonished at his never-failing charity and wishing to help, contributed 500 crowns.
It was by the bishop's exertions that many Christians condemned to slavery regained their liberty. Others held by officials as debt slaves could not satisfy the greed of their masters, and languished in chains until 1695.
The persecution which had crowned so many martyrs had also been productive of many apostates. The Siamese cruel in the invention of tortures, are too cowardly and too weak to bear them; and their example is another proof that cruelty is a vice that accompanies a pusillanimous character. History records events only that we may profit by them and on reading the account of this revolution, it is important to disentangle causes.
Faulcon, whose position was always uncertain and unstable in a country where his condition of foreigner exposed him to envy and hatred, thought he could have kept his position by calling in the help of the Europeans against the Siamese, who although indebted to him were none the less his enemies. He had no ambition to mount the throne as his foes have reported. Contented with the second place, it would have been madness on his part to have formed the idea of taking the first. The French eagerly seized the chance of extending their power and commerce, and, dazzled by the magnitude of his promises, they were foolish enough to believe that they were to be the leading power in the Indies.
Faulcon made religion serve his ambitious policy. Those who were really interested in the triumph of the Faith, were led astray by the hope of converting the King to Christianity. But the French officers less zealous and more far-sighted, were well aware that the project was but a snare set by the minister to appeal to their credulous simplicity.
Forbin, when questioned by Louis XIV replied that the King of Siam had not the slightest idea of forsaking the faith of his fore fathers and added that in the first audience given to the ambassadors, Chaumont made a long speech on the beauties of Christianity and that Faulcon who acted as interpreter never said one word about it to his master; and that in private audiences the ambassador had always laid great stress on religion, but that the interpreter had invariably proved faithless. The Bishop of Métellopolis who had been present and who understood the Siamese language could have divulged the matter, but he feared the wrath of a minister who knew how to punish as well as how to reward.