Document: Petition of Michiel Tadens for mitigation of the penalty to which he is subject

To the highly esteemed lord director general and lords high councilors in New Netherland.

Michiel Tadens, prisoner, shows with all due humility that he, petitioner, having understood the complaint and decision of the lord fiscal concerning the petitioner’s offence of selling brandy to the Indiaen and that the lord fiscal considered the aforesaid offence to be most serious; therefore, the petitioner turns to their most highly esteemed honors’ customary loving kindness with a most humble request that their esteemed honors show him, petitioner, mercy and no justice, and to mitigate the claim of the lord fiscal, and to keep him from falling into public shame, hoping and firmly trusting their highly esteemed honors’ regard for the petitioner’s two innocent children, praying humbly and from his entire heart that their esteemed honors be pleased this time to show him mercy and to mitigate the punishment so that he, petitioner, [several lines lost] be freed of [ ], promising never again in his life to make such a mistake, but behave from now on as an obedient subject, hoping and trusting firmly that their esteemed honors be pleased to consent this time out of mercy to his petition; which doing I remain your esteemed lords’ most humble subject and servant. (was signed) Michiel Tadens.