—are explained in an early narrative called Siam in
16%%, translated by Dr. O. Frankfurter.1
In may i6SS, the Siamese king Somdet Phra
Xarayana fell dangerously ill and Opra Petracha, one
of the influential men of Siam wanted to take the
crown with the help of the Dutch. He showed the
people 'how dangerous it would be if the true suc-
cessor to the Crown should be elevated to the throne,
because M. Constance would become only more
rowerful.' At the head of 15,000 men, he occupied
all entrances to the palace of the king. M. Constance
on the other hand, assembled all Catholics and asked
the Governor of Bangkok to come to his assistance.
In the meantime, Opra declared himself the king
of Siam, arrested the adopted son of the king and cut
him into pieces with a cruelty without example. * M.
Constance had been arrested at the same time with
arms in his hands accompanied by several Christians
fighting for the faith of Jesus Christ, and, having wit-
nessed this spectacle, suffered the same torment as
the prince.'
When the Siamese king died, the usurper pro-
claimed himself king and succeeded in expelling the
French from the countrv of Siara.
m»
We have an account of this time written by
Jeremias Van Vlict, formerly chief of the factory of
the Dutch Fast India Company in Siam* It is known
1. Journal of the Siam Society, V, 1908, part 4, pp. 1-50,