Document: Petition of Jan Theunissen Cuelenburgh for the pardon of a runaway sailor

[several lines lost] how that he [ Jan Theunissen Culemborgh ] was handed a [ ] request [ ] Heijtjes van Workum [ ] servant, who humbly [ requests ] pardon. Therefore, the petitioner requests with subservient humility to pardon him in [ ] hereof without any disgrace, hoping and trusting that the fugitive will comport himself from now on in such a way that your honors will be satisfied with his improvement, all the more since he was incited by others. I trust in your honors’ discretion and usual benevolence, and expect your honors’ favorable resolution. Doing this, etc., I remain your honors’ humble servant (was signed) by me, Jan Theunissen, dated 25 May 1658.

Having received and read the above petition, the honorable lord director general resolved as follows: Although the petitioner, as an example to others, does deserve some punishment for his running away, considering the confession of guilt and the promise of improvement, the petitioner, for this time, is forgiven and pardoned for his mistake, provided that with respect to this he shall report to the Company’s yacht and comport himself from now on as a good sailor and faithful servant should. Done at Fort Amsterdam in N: Netherland, the 25th of May anno 1658.