Document: Sentence of Jan Martyn

Whereas Jan Martijn van Herfleur, presently prisoner, some days ago did not find it any problem to affront and offend lord Pieter Tonneman, assigned[i] councilor of N: Netherland and schout of the villages of Breuckelen, Midwout, and Amesfoort, giving money to the town crier so that he would announce [ the presence of ] the said lord, and further saying ‘I have had him looked for in all taverns,’ and other similar offensive words; and whereas the town crier refused to do so, he threatened to beat him, which the fiscal, as law officer ex officio, is taking to court. The director general and councilors of N: Netherland, having heard the fiscal’s claim and the confession of the prisoner, [several lines lost] is serious, and that he [ ] [ declares that he acted ] thoughtlessly and nasty [ ], and promises in the future to take care not to make such mistakes again. Therefore, the aforesaid director general and councilors, after calling God’s Holy Name, performing justice in the name of the honorable high and mighty lords States General of the United Netherlands and the honorable lords directors of the Chartered West India Company, chamber of Amsterdam, preferring grace over rigor of justice, condemned the prisoner Jan Martijn, as they hereby condemn him, with bent knees and uncovered head in the council room, to pray God and justice for forgiveness and, in addition, to pay a fine of 25 guilders to be properly applied, together with the legal costs, denying the fiscal his further claim made on and against the prisoner. Thus done at the meeting of the honorable lord director general and councilors in Fort Amsterdam in N: Netherland, the 12th of April 1658.