Chapter 27B
Peaceful Negotiations Failed

Phaulkon prepared a message to Mosafat and Bakar, asking what they wanted and why the need to revolt. He sent Diego to seek out an Arab merchant at the docks, a man of dubious character, and asked that merchant to get the message to Mosafat and Bakar at their camp in the jungle. In the letter Phaulkon wrote that the king was willing to listen to any grievances the Makassars might have, and that there was no need to revolt against the throne. Whoever wanted to talk to the king, let him step forward and Phaulkon agreed that he would personally escort him to the king. He reminded the Makassars that the king would not tolerate any rebellion in his kingdom. Those who were not willing to keep the peace must leave the kingdom. For those who wanted to leave, boats and provisions would be provided by the kingdom and would be standing by at the fort in Bangkok to take them south.

When the message arrived at the rebel camp, Bakar believed it was best for the men to take the boats and leave while he went to Ayutthaya and negotiated. But Mosafat would not hear of it and stood his ground. He called it hypocrisy. “You cannot trust Phaulkon,” he ranted. “Have you forgotten? He did not keep his word at the elephant hunt. I fear this time they may kill us? Is that what you want, to die with your hands tied behind you back?”

“I do not fear death and you know that,” argued Bakar, “but my death does not bring peace to our children. If the king listens to what we have to say, our children will live. I must give it a chance.”

Mosafat cursed him out. “You are a fool,” he said. “He called for us to step forward. To me that means surrender. So what if we don’t step forward? What is he going to do? Is he going to surround us, kill us all? Don’t you see that is what the message is about? There is only one way to deal with Phaulkon and that is by the sword.” He withdrew his sword from its scabbard and waved it above his head, bringing it down in a sudden chop.

“Yes, Bakar, you go to the Greek and you will see what I mean.

If they do not take your head first, you will return and you will be ready to fight. Go and let Allah be with you.”

Bakar took two men and left for the fort.

When Bakar departed on his mission to see Phaulkon and the king, Mosafat called his men together. “We are Makassars,” he said. “We put our faith in Allah and we are also true Muslims. We do not surrender to anyone, as we did not surrender to the Dutch. It is true, the king gave us asylum but the king also wants to control us. He lets the Christians come with their crosses and their promises. He listens to the talk about their god, and soon this white man’s religion will take over. These Europeans are already taking over. Look at the grand houses they have built for themselves; look at the stone churches they have constructed for all to see. The Siamese are being duped by the Europeans; they are being duped at the expense of all Muslims. It is up to us, the Makassars, to lead the way. No, we will capture the fort and then they will listen to us. We will tell them we are weary and tired. We will lie to them as they do to us. We will tell the Greek we will take the boats and leave the kingdom. But we won’t leave. When they least expect it, as we go to the boats, take out our arms and attack. We will play Phaulkon at his own game. As he did to us at the hunt, we will do to him at the fort.”

Bakar, knowing none of what Mosafat was planning, arrived with men at the fortress at Bangkok. De Forbin’s soldiers immediately took away their arms and bound them with their arms behind their backs. Bakar wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake. Maybe Mosafat was right after all. Phaulkon couldn’t be trusted. Bakar and his men were then dispatched upriver to Ayutthaya. Phaulkon was summoned with the news that Bakar had surrendered. He hastened to the prison and went into a rage when he saw that Baker and his men were bound. “Release their bonds,” he clamored. “They are not prisoners.”

“I come to talk to your king,” Bakar said.

“And I say you will have that chance,” Phaulkon replied in earnest.

“You must understand, I do not fear death,” Bakar said, “and I am not a traitor to my people, but I do not wish death on my family. If l am betrayed, all my men, and their children and the children after them will remember the man whose name was Phaulkon as a man whose words were as worthless as a kris without a hilt.”

Phaulkon instructed his soldiers to escort Bakar and his men to the Guard Tower to wait there while he arranged an audience with the king. “I will escort you to see the king myself,” he said. He warned the guards that no harm was to befall these men with an explicit warning that they were not prisoners. The Guards Tower was for their safekeeping.

The next day a message arrived from Mosafat. He agreed to Phaulkon’s offer and he and his men would leave the kingdom by boat as provided. Phaulkon was to inform Bakar of their decision.

Phaulkon immediately sent a message to de Forbin instructing him to prepare boats and have them ready at the fort for Mosafat and his men when they arrived. He was not to lower the chain until the men were aboard and ready to depart. He further instructed de Forbin not to trust the Makassars. If Mosafat and his men did not willingly leave aboard the boats, they were to be arrested. Phaulkon further stated that de Forbin must have his garrison fully armed, concealed and waiting behind the gate to subdue the rebels if need be. Phaulkon did not know that only the day before de Forbin had dismissed the Siamese soldiers stating that they were not needed.

Phaulkon knew that Mosafat would not give up that easily, that he had foul play in mind. Still, he had to give the rebel leader the benefit of the doubt. And Mosafat, of course, felt that way about Phaulkon, that he could not be trusted. The Greek had betrayed him before when he and his men were offered safe passage through the jungle after the elephant hunt, and instead Prince Sorasak and the soldiers attacked them savagely killing many of his men. No, he could not believe anything Phaulkon had to say. What Mosafat didn’t know was that Phaulkon wanted his plan to work. He wanted it to work more than anything he ever wanted before. He wanted Mosafat and his men to take the boats and leave. If they didn’t, one of them, either he or Mosafat, would have to kill the other. In the meantime Phaulkon had to reach the king but the king was spending three days with the monks at a wat outside Louvo.

Two days later Mosafat and a squad of eight men arrived at the fort and, upon seeing the boats, asked permission to leave. De Forbin, standing beneath the portcullis at the gate, sent two soldiers down to the boats to confront Mosafat. “Find out where the rest of his men are,” de Forbin instructed them.

Mosafat’s response was sudden. One of his men grabbed a French soldier and thrust a knife into his chest. As the soldier fell dying to the ground, another rebel struck at the second soldier and with one swing of his sword severed the man’s head from his body. The rebel then picked up the head, held it up high with one hand and as he did he let out a scream that could have been heard across the river at the village of Bangkok.

De Forbin, seeing what had happened, ordered his men to charge the renegades. His soldiers came flooding through the gates with their flintlock pistols ready to fire but Mosafat and his men were not there to fight them. They had fled into the jungle. De Forbin called for his men to charge after them and to track down every one of them. Mosafat’s plan was working.

As the soldiers were about to overtake the fleeing rebels, the forest suddenly erupted with Makassars everywhere, brandishing swords and cutlasses, appearing from behind every rock and bush, dropping down from the trees, screaming their death knells at the tops of their voices. They came from every front. They attacked the French soldiers mercilessly, killing each and every one of them, sparing not a single life. They then charged the fort.

De Forbin and the few soldiers left at the fort were no match for the charging Makassars. Abandoning their weapons they dove into the river and attempted to swim to the other side. Several, weighed down with heavy armor, met their end in the river before reaching their goal. Mosafat now had control of the fort.

Phaulkon heard the crushing news that the Makassars had taken the fort at Bangkok and that more than twenty French soldiers from the garrison had been killed. Another messenger came running to tell him that the Muslims in Ayutthaya were taking up arms. Phaulkon was aware that General Phetracha was in Louvo, a half day march away. There was no time to ask the general for assistance and besides, Phetracha had to guard the king and defend the palace. Phaulkon made the decision that he himself would direct the assault to regain the fort. He quickly spread word that he needed assistance and for volunteers to come armed to the river landing in Ayutthaya. He could have used the services of George White but White was off in his trading schooner in the Spice Islands on his own trading venture. George White’s brother Samuel was on his way from Mergui but Phaulkon preferred that Samuel didn’t offer his assistance. Phaulkon had an account to settle with Samuel. Phaulkon was not pleased with Samuel’s activities in Mergui and the matter had yet to be settled.

Phaulkon dispatched half his Siamese guards and soldiers to defend the royal palace in Ayutthaya and the residence of the ministers. He sent Diego to stand guard over Marie and little George while Christoph prepared to join forces with him. He then rushed to his office at the palace in Ayutthaya to gather his arms. Marie knew all the while what her husband had in mind and was there to meet him. “I sent Diego to watch over you and George,” Phaulkon said in surprise.

“He came in one door and I went out the other,” she said. It was all Phaulkon could do to suppress a smile. He was proud of her but this was not the time to tell her. “I plead with you not to do this,” she begged.

“There are things that a man must do, and one is to stand fast for what he believes,” he said to her. He did not want to look upon her with tears in her eyes. He began collecting his armor when a servant appeared at the door with the news that Marie’s father, Mr. Fanique, had arrived and was outside. Phaulkon threw up his arms in despair. He was certain that Marie had called her father to help her plead with him to give up this crazy idea. In the next instant Fanique appeared at the door. Phaulkon was aghast, stunned. His father-in-law was suited out in full Samurai armor with not one but two swords hanging from his leather sash. He carried his wide metal helmet, rimmed with amulets dangling from the sides, cradled in his left arm. Upon seeing his son-in-law arming himself, he took his helmet and placed it squarely upon his head. His eyes peered out through a narrow slit. “I have twenty good men waiting outside,” he said. “Should we not be going?”

Marie knew that her pleadings would fall upon deaf ears and gave up. Her maid Nana took her aside and comforted her as best she could. The two men, after bidding their good-byes, joined the others outside.

Chapter 27A
THE MAKASSAR UPRISING

One morning, while Phaulkon was playing with his son before going to his office, a servant announced two visitors were at the door. Phaulkon said to bring them in. Abu Omar appeared and with him was a Muslim boy. Phaulkon learned the boy was a Makassar, hired by Abu to spy for him.

The boy informed Phaulkon that the rebels were concerned that their camp might be discovered and they saw the need to recruit more followers as soon as possible and strike while time was in their favor. Phaulkon knew rebel tactics. Unlike the Siamese and the Burmese who liked to amass their army in full view of the enemy and put fright into them, rebels used the hide tactic and charged when least expected. Phaulkon was certain the boy was telling the truth.

“What about a man named Mosafat? Is he there in the camp?” Phaulkon asked.

“He is there, with Mohammed Bakar. They are both there. They argue a lot,” the boy replied. “Mosafat says he will fight to his death.” Phaulkon didn’t need the boy to tell him that. The boy had little else to report. Phaulkon took some coins from his desk, handed them to Abu and thanked them both. He saw them to the door.

Phaulkon went immediately to see the king and found His Majesty surrounded by young musicians and dancers performing a play. It was nothing unusual. The king often surrounded himself with artists, poets and writers. Phaulkon was rushed but he soon found himself mesmerized as he watched a group of young players performing for the king. He soon forgot his mission and, unnoticed by the king, he sat with a group of players and watched the rehearsals. A dancer wearing a pagoda-like conical silver headpiece leaped to center stage. He was marvelous to watch and his performance brought great pleasure to the king. He wore a necklace of many-stranded beads of silver and ivory that fell across his naked torso. The beaten-silver epaulets on his biceps were so designed that they clanged with the slightest movement of his arms, and hollow silver anklets filled with silver beads rattled with each step he took. He spun about with sudden leaps, twisting and turning as he did, creating splendid geometric patterns. The sudden right and left turns of his head made Phaulkon dizzy to watch him. He was a storyteller. He would stop abruptly and begin telling his story by singing descriptive passages which he enacted with spurts of dancing.

The king was not a mere spectator wanting to be entertained. He liked to interact with the players, asking them questions, offering them advice. Often, when Phaulkon went to see the king, he had to wait for the king, usually surrounded by poets and orators. At times, there were artists too who had their works spread out over the floor, creating drawings of temple scenes from everyday life. Phaulkon then had to step lightly to cross the hall.

There were the architects, many of them missionaries, and they came too, addressing the king with their foreign designs for bridges and riverside forts and glittering new palaces. Sometimes the king had a dozen projects going on at the same time, all which needed his attention. No project for him was too small for consideration or too big. He worshipped challenges; he thrived on them. He took on such tasks as improving the Tai script. He worked with monk scribes to improve the King Li Thai alphabet that was begun by King Ramkhamhaeng four centuries before into what became the King Narai script. He toiled with the idea of Romanizing the Tai script when the French missionaries set up a printing press to publish their own books and documents but in the end he dismissed the idea for fear it might compromise the Tai language altogether. He spent much of his time working over details with French engineers over the construction of a canal across the Kra Peninsula. He was convinced it was possible and, when completed, it would eliminate the need for ships to round the southern tip of the peninsula to reach Mergui.

The king was most interested in the training of the Khon dancers, the classical masked dance, and his favorite. The Khon dance was the most difficult of all Siamese dances and students needed encouragement, and this the king enthusiastically gave them. To become proficient in the art of Khon dance, students had to study for at least five to seven years. Along with the king, Phaulkon enjoyed watching them practice. A student needed many skills to be a good Khon performer. He or she had to have strong and flexible muscles and had to be able to hold a position with knees bent and heels turned out completely for a very long time. Leg strength was essential in order to create a powerful stamp with the foot during the military marching scene. The military mark was the only aspect of His Majesty’s dabbling in the arts that interested General Phetracha. The general thought the king was wasting his time with the arts and was annoyed every time he came to the Audience Hall only to be delayed due to a dance or musical rehearsal that was in progress.

King Narai knew how to placate the general. “You see,” the king said, “when an army marches, the whole ground should vibrate. Khon dancers do that. They would make good soldiers. They have a fine sense of balance since they have to stand unmoving for long periods of time and, when they stomp down, they stomp hard, putting fright into the enemy.”

General Phetracha listened but he did not agree. He argued that the vision of Khon dancers is limited by the small eyeholes on their Khon masks. He dismissed the dance as folly. It was too mythical. He was not interested in the classical arts as the king was. He did not like the slow pace of the dancers, declaring that soldiers must move quickly. Nor did he like the battle where Vishnu defeated Nontuk because Vishnu had to call on the Monkey Army for assistance. “It’s only myth, a monkey army,” the general scoffed. He did not care for the war between Rama and Ravana. Ravana was known as Tossagun, a ten-headed demon. No, the general thought that the king had more important things to do than play-act. He did not think it was the king’s responsibility to preserve the kingdom’s heritage.

On this particular day that Phaulkon went to see King Narai, the king, seeing him sitting to one side, called him to sit by his side. Phaulkon disliked interrupting His Majesty with matters of state that were disturbing when the king was in such a jubilant mood, as he was this morning, but he had no other choice than to bring up the matter. It was urgent.

“Your Majesty,” Phaulkon said when he was seated, “I would like to settle this Makassar issue once and for all. It has raised its ugly head again.”

King Narai looked squarely at Phaulkon. “My actors make me laugh with their humor but I never thought my King’s Favorite would do the same.”

“But Your Majesty, I speak the truth,” Phaulkon said. “The Makassar are restless and they are a threat to the kingdom.”

“And tell me, how do you intend to settle the Makassar problem?” the king asked.

“Diplomacy.” Phaulkon said. “Diplomacy first, and then if diplomacy does not work, we must resort to force. But only if diplomacy fails.”

“Diplomacy! Do you seriously believe that diplomacy will work with Muslims?” he asked but didn’t want an answer. “And you say if talk does not work, then and only then we will use force. Do you think you can do this alone, without the help of General Phetracha?” Phaulkon was about to speak but the king raised his arm for him to listen. “What do the Makassars want? When they fled their own country, after the Dutch took possession of their lands, I granted them asylum in Siam. I received these proud people honorably and gave them their own quarter outside Ayutthaya, among other quarters reserved for foreign residents. I treated them just like other foreigners. You know that. You were here. Why are they revolting? What do they want from us? What more can we give them?”

“I cannot answer that,” Phaulkon said, “but I do not believe all the Muslims are rebellious. The Makassars are a warlike clan but they don’t represent all Muslims. Nevertheless, I can attempt to find out, only with your permission.”

“And in the meantime what does General Phetracha and his army do? Stand idly by? You know he won’t stand for interference,” the king said. “We can’t aggravate him more than we already have.”

“But this is not war. He must understand that this is only a skirmish to rout out the rebels,” Phaulkon replied. “To get General Phetracha involved might stir up not only the Makassars but all Muslims as well and make for an uprising that would spread like a grass fire throughout the land. No, I say, Your Majesty, the presence of Phetracha and Sorasak ready for battle might ignite something we have been trying to avoid ever since the incident at the elephant hunt. I will attempt to bring the rebel chief Bakar to negotiations.”

The king pondered over Phaulkon’s words for a few moments and then gave voice to his thoughts. ”As for General Phetracha,” he finally said, “I could tell him that his soldiers are needed to guard the palace.” King Narai finally agreed that Phaulkon should investigate the Makassar problem. He told him to proceed, wished him luck and turned to the dancer with the ankle brackets that jangled when he danced. He was praising the dancer for his performance as Phaulkon was leaving.

Chapter 26C
Last Words with King Narai

The king, although finding it difficult to speak, expressed his most sincere and noble feelings through Laneau to the ambassador. “I suffer from this malady that no medicine can seem to cure, but I shall do my best to recover. I always do,” he said. “Let me tell you, I may appear to many as a man of intellect when faced with deep issues, like religion, but I admit I have a lot to learn. Life is all learning. I am most honored that my good friend the King of France and you, my friends, have traveled this far and very kindly and enduringly have given your time to teach me your faith which you believe to be so true. But whether or not it be the true religion, I must continue to search for the truth. That I can promise you. When I find out what is the truth, I will accept it. But you must understand, that I may not soon arrive at any conclusion. Walls have many eyes and ears. Just by investigating the truth alone, without even reaching a conclusion, can end my life and the lives of my loved ones.”

Chaumont spoke up: “Fear not, Your Highness, my Master King Louis will see to it that your investigation of the truth will only bring you and your kingdom total security and lasting prosperity. I will see to it. You have my word on it.”

The king thanked him gracefully and then made a startling request. He asked Chaumont to recommend Phaulkon to the King of France. He carefully explained that Phaulkon, a most faithful servant but, being Greek and always a foreigner in the eyes of the Siamese, had incurred the envy and hatred of many people in Siam. Therefore, in the event of his death, the King of Siam, he requested that Phaulkon, who might need to leave the country, be allowed to retire in France.

Chaumont assured him that the King of France would hear of Phaulkon’s faithful service and abilities and would certainly take him into his own service. He further assured King Narai that Phaulkon would be treated in the same manner that His Highness had treated him.

The king then proudly announced that along with Ambassador Chaumont he was sending his third envoy to France. The French ambassador was both startled and pleased. Startled that he had not been informed, and pleased that a Siamese embassy might ease some of the problems he would face upon his return to France, foremost his failure to convert the Siamese king to the Christian faith.

King Narai and Phaulkon had long planned in advance for a third Siamese embassy to France. They had planned in secret and left out no details. They chose not one but three ambassadors in the event that any one of three failed in their mission. The first in rank of three was Phra Wisut Sunthon, better known Kosa Pan, a Siamese gentleman accepted for his charm and intelligence. He was a younger brother of the deceased Barcalon. The second ambassador was the elderly Luang Kalayan Rachai Maitri who had formerly been on a mission to China. The third, a young man named Si Wisan Wacha, had served on an ambassadorial mission to Portugal. All three were experienced and accomplished diplomats.

The ambassadors were accompanied by eight Siamese nobles (consistently referred to as “mandarins” by the French) and twenty of their own servants. In addition there were twelve Siamese students. Also traveling with the envoy was Father Tachard as the special, but unofficial, representative of Phaulkon.

King Narai and Phaulkon were aware that the real purpose of the mission was the return of Ambassador Chaumont and Abbe de Choisy to France. It was an opportunity King Narai couldn’t turn down to send Siamese ambassadors to France aboard the same ships. The king, everyone knew, was seeking a political alliance with the French to act as a counter balance to the growing commercial and political power of the Dutch, already well entrenched in Malacca, Java and the Moluccas. Kosa Pan would carry a royal letter to Louis XIV, to return the French king’s friendship.

Now satisfied, King Narai rang a bell and an entourage of young attendants entered the king’s chamber bearing gifts. King Narai presented Ambassador Chaumont, with the highest of honors, a beautifully carved vessel of solid gold, its base set in fine rubies and emeralds, the highest distinction the King of Siam bestows on the most deserving visitors to his realm. To Abbe de Choisy and Bishop Laneau he presented crucifixes, also of pure gold.

By now the king was weary and he began dozing off before he could wish them well. The assembly quietly left the room, all pleased and content, bearing their costly gifts.

Phaulkon was troubled that the French, having failed in their mission, might revoke their support for Siam. The kingdom would then be sure prey for the Dutch who now had most of the East Indies under their control. Phaulkon decided he must take drastic measures and called for Father Thomas as his confidant. He explained to Father Thomas, whom he knew to be faithful to Siam and the king, that he must solicit support from the envoy returning to France. He must use every trick and duplicity of which he could think. He told Father Thomas he had called Father Tachard, his only hope, and perhaps even the hope of Siam.

When Father Tachard arrived, Phaulkon explained that he had called him because he wanted to entrust him with an important mission. He said that he had thought long and hard about what had gone wrong and he had come to a conclusion. Father Thomas was his witness.

Phaulkon slowly divulged his plans, point by point. But first, he assured Father Tachard that his plans were based upon the good of both France and Siam. Moreover, Jesuits and French missionaries would benefit from his plan as well. He told Father Tachard that he was putting all his hopes in him and that he must do all he could to present his point to the proper authorities in France. Father Tachard must explain to the Jesuits in Paris that everyone was aware that Chaumont was not successful in converting King Narai due to political reasons, that the King was surrounded by military advisors and his own ministers who were all loyal to the Buddhist faith, and that they prevented the king from even showing the slightest interest in another faith.

If Siam was to be converted to the Catholic faith, it could only be done gradually through the people. To do this, France must send qualified people, navigation experts, construction engineers, teachers and medical practitioners, men trained in military science, and that these people must be scattered in posts around the country. They were the ones to show by example to influence the Siamese. This was an indirect form of evangelizing. It would be slow but certain. Convince the people and the rulers will follow. When these posts are established, together with the French military troops, missionaries and Jesuits would be able to preach and spread their religion without interference or fear for their safety. It was important that they back off from demands from the king.

To Father Tachard this sounded reasonable. He was now convinced that although Phaulkon did not see eye to eye with Chaumont, he was nevertheless desirous to help spread the Catholic faith. This is exactly what Phaulkon wanted him to believe. Phaulkon had to gain French confidence in any way he could. He wanted to get trained men and even soldiers as a force to back Siam against the Dutch, or the even the English if they decided to come back. Furthermore, the king could use this military force as he saw fit, against any adversary. He was thinking of uprisings against the king.

Phaulkon went down river to Pak Nam to wish bon voyage to the French Envoy and the Third Siamese Embassy to France. He was loaded with a great number of presents, including two silver banded cannons. As a parting gift, Phaulkon offered the French the fortified post in Signora. The offer was received with enthusiasm, except for Chaumont. He refused, saying he must confer with Paris first. L’Oiseau and La Maligne crossed the bar at the mouth of River Menam and set sail for France. The sea voyage lasted six months from Siam to Brest. They had left Ayutthaya the 22nd of December 1685 and did not reach Brest until the 18th of June 1686. The good news of their arrival came with great rejoicing in Siam.

Digging Deeper on the Bible

At home in Louvo, Marie was glad and relieved that the pressure from the French Envoy was over. She told Phaulkon how much she and his son missed him. Phaulkon admitted he too was tired of parties and dinners. Marie told her husband that she had many plans for the family.

Phaulkon asked her to slow down; the battle had yet to be won. There were many issues he needed to put to rest. Foremost was the Makassar crisis. He was aware that Muslim rebels could strike at any time. The most distasteful thing that he had to do was issue orders to recall Samuel White from Mergui. He had been informed of Samuel’s misdoings and this included, among a long list, elicit trading. Phaulkon dreaded the thought even more after having learned that Samuel’s wife had died of fever and he was left to raise their two young daughters. But Phaulkon knew he had no other choice.

That night Phaulkon was reading the Bible and fell asleep on the divan. Marie came, looked at him with compassion and as she began to wipe his brow with a soft towel, he reached up and grabbed her hand and held it. “I have waited all this time and you have never asked me to show you the scripture we talked about.”

“You were hardly ever home,” she answered.

“I am home now, my dear; you can ask me,” he said with gentle kindness.

“Why is it so important to you?” asked Marie.

“When you read it, you will know,” he said and bid her sit beside him on the divan. She sat down and he opened the Bible and pointed to a scripture he had marked. “Psalms 37:29, and it says the righteous will possess the earth and reside forever upon it.”

“You mean not in heaven?” Marie asked.

“Not according to the Bible. Look, in Matthew 5:5 it says ‘Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.”‘

He explained that all nine accounts of resurrection in the Bible that he read are resurrections back to the earth, in body not spirit. He showed her John 11: 24-25, that the resurrection will be on the last day and that those who exercise faith in Jesus, even though they die, will live again on the earth. He then showed her Revelation 21 :4 and read: ”And God will wipe out every tear from our eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry, nor pain be anymore.”

“But that is talking about heaven,” Marie said, making her point but with a tone of doubt.

“I thought so too,” Phaulkon said, “but the same scripture is also written in the book of Isaiah 25:8 describing everlasting life on earth. I just want to show you that you were right, even death cannot part us. You and I will be back on this beautiful earth to live forever.”

“Why wait until now to tell me?” Marie asked.

She confessed she had always feared losing him, but now, knowing the truth, her fears were gone.

“You will never lose me, never,” Phaulkon assured her. “I, Constantine Gerakis, give you my word, and so does God, as the Bible is His word.”

Chapter 26B
Impending Danger

Outside in the reception hall he found Abu Omar, the Arab merchant, waiting impatiently. He informed Phaulkon that the Muslims were planning a revolt. When Phaulkon asked how he knew, Abu told him the Muslims had been recruiting fighters underground and had even approached one of his servants. Phaulkon promised him a reward for the information and instructed him not to tell anyone else.

Phaulkon instructed Diego to go to the governor of Ayutthaya and inform him about a possible Muslim revolt but for him not to panic the people with the news. Phaulkon further instructed Diego to bring some of his best men to Louvo and stay with Marie and his son.

As Diego was departing, another messenger arrived. King Narai summoned Phaulkon to appear before him. Phaulkon called Laneau aside and cautioned him about the pending crisis but forewarned him not to worry Chaumont. He instructed Christoph to add more guards and security around the French Envoy without causing concern or alarm.

As Phaulkon was departing after explaining to the ambassador that an emergency had arisen, the ambassador called to him. “Wait,” he said, “what does the Catholic faith have that the Buddhists do not have? You didn’t say what it was.”

“That I didn’t,” Phaulkon said.

“Well, what is it?” the ambassador asked.

Phaulkon stood for a moment at the door, looked at the ambassador still sitting at the table with the Abbe about to pour him a drink, and said, “I thought, Ambassador Chaumont, it is for you to decide.” In another instant he was gone.

Phaulkon appeared before the king, thinking the king summoned him because of the rumor going around about the Muslims. The King politely informed Phaulkon that Phetracha had registered a complaint against him and, before he could pass judgment, he wanted an explanation. Did he order monks to work in the fields and to do menial construction labor? “Did you not know that monks are exempt from public service since they are holy servants of the temple?” he asked.

“I am aware of this, Your Majesty,” Phaulkon replied. “I am also aware that the French missionaries and the Jesuits are also considered holy people devoted to sacred service. If these missionaries and Jesuits can put aside their sacred service and help build forts and hospitals and schools for the Siamese people, which gives them a sense of pride and importance, I did not have to think twice that perhaps the monks should not be deprived of such accomplishments. After all, it is also for their kingdom, their people and their children that these buildings are erected. And let it be known to Your Majesty that I did not order these holy men to work but I personally invited them to volunteer their time if they wished to. This is the truth, Your Majesty. However, if this is displeasing to Your Majesty and upsetting to his good friend the general, I will make urgent changes to exclude the holy monks from such projects and ask for His Majesty’s forgiveness.”

Phaulkon added that if it would make the king happy, His Majesty could pacify the general himself by granting him the permission to pass a law excluding all monks from all future building projects.

The king thanked Phaulkon for his sincere honesty and concern for all people involved. He admitted to Phaulkon that he himself did not see anything wrong with Phaulkon’s arrangements. However, he regretted to say the Siamese people can only think in terms of tradition, not logic, and to avoid unnecessary trouble, it is best that monks should not be seen in such projects. Phaulkon left with the king deep in thought.

It wasn’t long after that King Narai passed a law which was read in public stating monks were excluded from public building projects. No man, or person, is allowed to sequester monks to work at such menial tasks, except under one condition, that monks volunteer to do so. When the law was read, the monks at construction site began to lay down their tools, but when they heard the part about such work being voluntary on their part, they picked up the tools again.

When Phetracha heard about the law, he immediately rode on horseback to the nearest construction site. He saw the monks working, dismounted and grabbed tools from their hands. “Don’t you have any pride?” he shouted. The monks were confused and knew not what to do. They just stood there in awe, like statues in the palace grounds. Phetracha looked upon them in disgust and when he realized there was little he could do, he rode away in anger. What was this foreigner doing to his kingdom? What were all the foreigners doing? Could not the king see this? What was the price for these innovations they brought from the West? Who could answer him?

At Wat Arun, Phetracha went to see the head monk. “Haven’t you seen enough?” he said to him. “Haven’t you heard enough? The French are converting our king! A Greek is taking over our kingdom! And even our monks are losing their pride! What am I supposed to do?” He kneeled and bowed down to the monk.

“I am only a monk,” the man answered. “I only exist to give divine guidance to those who seek it. I do not know what to do with affairs of the state and beyond. You are the general. The purpose of your existence is to protect Siam from its enemies. Find out who your enemies are and deal with them deservedly. That is the job of a military leader. When you find out what your job may require of you, come back and together we will make offerings for divine guidance.”

Phaulkon tried harder than ever to placate the French envoy. He entertained them lavishly and constantly sent them expensive gifts. He showed them plans and sites for new churches and missionary schools. He made arrangements with Siamese families to send their sons to France to study. He even asked the ambassador to let him know what local customs conflict with French etiquette and he would have them abolished or corrected.

He also told the ambassador he had further conversations with the king concerning religion and the king was more reasonable this time and there was much hope for his conversion. “We must wait for God’s own good time,” he said to the ambassador.

Chaumont reminded Phaulkon that the envoy’s departure time was drawing near and he wanted another religious discussion with the king. Phaulkon managed to change the subject and pressed for France’s military alliance with Siam against the Dutch. Chaumont told him he had not received instructions regarding this subject and could only express his wishes for the prosperity of Siam.

Phaulkon in turn reminded Chaumont that ever since his arrival in Siam, he had repeatedly declared his desire on behalf of the King of France for friendship between the two sovereigns, that this declaration needed to be implemented by action which alone was the test of sincerity. If he wished to show King Narai that he spoke with the voice of truth, he could do so by letting it be known that King Louis reciprocated this friendship, and that Siam and France were allies. It was a small gesture but one that would be deeply appreciated. Chaumont fell into the trap and agreed.

Phaulkon added that King Narai had requested from the French Envoy the loan of the services of the Chevalier de Forbin and of Monsieur La Marr to help train the Siamese army and to supervise the building of a new fortress. De Forbin was given the royal title Phra Sakdi Song Khram. Phaulkon put complete and unquestioning trust in de Forbin, a young and promising officer who had arrived with the Envoy. He put him to modernizing the fortress of Bangkok and taking command of its defense. The king had granted the request but soon after Phaulkon wondered if perhaps he had made a mistake in judgment of character. It was a massive undertaking for a young officer. The fortress at Bangkok was as volatile as a keg of black powder with a fuse set in place, and he had placed the grave responsibility upon the young, untested, officer.

In return, Phaulkon granted the French favorable trade concessions. He gave the French the right to open factories in such places they deemed suitable. The French were exempt from paying duties on imports and exports, and they were given the sole rights to trade in Junk Ceylon and Songkau to the exclusion of all other nations. Junk Ceylon, marked “Phuket” on some charts, was valuable for its tin mining. King Narai, not lacking discretion, appointed French medical missionary, Brother Rene Charbonneau, governor with his capital based at Thalang on the east coast of the island.

With the departure of the French Envoy soon to take place, Phaulkon expressed to the king the importance of having Ambassador Chaumont carry only good news about Siam to the King of France. King Narai knew well how important French support meant to Siam. “I am aware of the consequences of declining the ambassador’s attempt to instruct me in the doctrine of the Catholic Faith, but I must stand fast in my beliefs,” King Narai said.

“That being the case,” Phaulkon said, “with your permission, may I beg, knowing the French ambassador as a person with much pride, that we not, Your Majesty, prove the ambassador to be inferior in reason. We must handle him with care even if it means honoring him and flattering him.”

Phaulkon further explained to the king that although he was a Christian, devoted and faithful to his God, he did not agree with all of the teachings of the Catholic Church and disliked the ambassador very much for putting His Majesty in a difficult position.

The king announced that he would see the ambassador for the last time and that Phaulkon must put his mind to rest. “I will not compromise the security of my country, the future of my people, nor will I compromise my integrity. I will continue, as always, to speak the truth, for unless I do so, I would fail in my duties as king. But I will be cautious with my tongue. You have my word on this, and I say this not for myself but for the sake of Siam.”

Phaulkon left contented. A lavish farewell party was held for the Envoy at the palace. Phaulkon apologized for the king’s absence as he was quite ill but he would receive the ambassador later in his room. The time came and Chaumont, Choisy and Laneau, accompanied by Phaulkon, entered the king’s room. He was lying in bed, ill of asthma, attended by his devoted sister and daughter. He told the women to leave, and then, as a complete surprise, he asked Phaulkon to do the same, to leave with the women.

Chapter 26A
KING NARAI HOLDS COURT
Outpoints the Ambassador

Outside the Palace Audience Hall, General Phetracha and several of his officers waited nervously to see King Narai. They had urgent matters to discuss with His Majesty. Also waiting to see the king were Phaulkon, the French Ambassador Chaumont and Bishop Laneau. The general was not pleased when Phaulkon and the two foreigners were ushered into the Audience Hall before him.

That morning Phaulkon had been taken by surprise when King Narai announced that he agreed to enter into religious discussions with the French ambassador. It was completely unexpected. Before they had entered the hall, Chaumont made it known to Bishop Laneau that he was there to translate into French and nothing more. He was not to enter into religious discussions with the king, and that he, the ambassador, would be the one to conduct the discussions, and he alone. When they entered the hall, jubilant Chaumont bowed deeper than usual and Phaulkon and Bishop Laneau prostrated themselves before His Majesty.

Chaumont thanked the king for the privilege granted him. The king asked that he not be too quick with his thanks as he had granted the ambassador an audience not in the interest of their religion-he emphasized “their religion”-but he granted the audience simply because he needed questions answered.

“I will be most honored to answer any questions you may have,” Chaumont replied wholeheartedly. But at this time he had no idea what the king had in mind.

The king opened the talk-we have to call it a talk and not a discussion-by instructing Chaumont on the teachings of Buddha-do not kill, do not steal, do not take advantage of the poor, how to be a good person, and so on. He asked the ambassador if this was any different than the teachings of the Catholic faith. The king continued, saying he believed in a god of heaven and earth, and asked Chaumont if he believed the same. Chaumont had to acknowledge that he too believed in a god of heaven and earth.

“Thus agreed,” King Narai said, “there is but one God who created heaven and earth. My people and I make offerings to Buddha and other divine humans like Buddha. Similarly the Catholics believe in one true God but they also make offerings to the Virgin Mary and other Saints. Is this not true?” Again Chaumont had to agree. “You go to your church to worship and I go to my temple,” he continued. “You have priests who give you divine guidance and I have monks who do the same for me. Am I right?” Chaumont nodded. “Your priests wear vestments and my monks wear robes.”

Chaumont and Laneau were uncomfortable but they could not interrupt.

“In your Church,” the king said, “you use candles and incense and rosary beads in your rituals, and so does my temple use candles and incense and beads. In your Church, I was told, priests speak in Latin, a language that is no longer understood by the common people, and in my temple monks chant in Pali, a language even a king does not understand. In your Church you are required to give money for alms to the poor and for the upkeep of the Church, and so do my temples require the same.

“I do not see any difference between the two religions except that the people who go to your Church have white skin and the people who go to my temples are of different skin. Am I speaking the truth?” He didn’t wait for Chaumont to reply. “Ah, I do see one difference.” Chaumont’s face lit up but not for long. “My monks shave their whole head, while your priests only shave a part of their heads.” Chaumont did not find his comment as humorous as did Phaulkon.

The king now directed his question to Phaulkon and Laneau, both of whom he had known for a number of years. “Have I been lacking in anything that would hinder my reputation as a fair and just king?” They replied that they knew of nothing that would. “Have I not been a kind and generous man, independent from my crown.” They answered yes. ”According to the Christian standard of what is good and bad, have I not proven to be a good king?” They could not object, for King Narai was loved by his people.

A servant on hands and knees appeared at the door to the chambers, interrupting the talk. King Narai motioned for him to come forth. He whispered something to the King and quietly vanished.

“I regret,” King Narai said to the three visitors, “but my general, being an impatient man, is waiting, so let me conclude and ask why is there a need to convert me? If the religion of my ancestors has taught me in all wisdom right from wrong, and even you yourselves approve and confirm that I have done well and am as good a king as I am a man, why then do you ask me to change when both religions, yours and mine, are so much alike?”

There followed silence. This was not what Chaumont had expected, a lecture on the similarities of Buddhism and Christianity. No, Chaumont was obviously upset and began to speak, but the king raised his hand. “You need not answer now.” Again Chaumont attempted to speak, but in a firm voice the king said, “We will continue this discussion another time.” He instructed them to leave and called for General Phetracha and his men to enter. The king saw anger in Phetracha’s eyes as the foreigners passed by him. If looks could ignite fire, his would certainly have created a conflagration. Even Phaulkon who was generally courteous avoided eye contact with the general.

The Xenophobic General

Phetracha lost no time expressing his complaint against Phaulkon. He had a new complaint hoping this would help fortify his case. He told the king that Phaulkon had disrespected the holy temple and the monks. Phaulkon had ordered the monks to do manual labor like common people. Phetracha reminded the king that this is reprehensible and Phaulkon should be punished.

The king gave his word he would look into the situation with utmost urgency. When Phetracha asked what the meeting with the French ambassador was about, the king told him they were simply discussing matters of the soul and that it had nothing to do with Siam. “I am merely entertaining these foreigners, giving them a sense of importance for the sake of the royal friendship between the two kingdoms,” he said, attempting to explain but without success.

The king sensed he had not appeased the general and this annoyed him very much. He told Phetracha, blatantly, not to take him to be a fool. “Let me ask you, have we not been friends since we were boys?” He did not want an answer and continued before Phetracha could respond. “Have we not fought battles side by side, and drank and sung together? Then why suddenly after all these years do you not have confidence in me, your king? Why do you harbor such vicious anger and dire hatred against foreigners? Can you not see the good they are doing? Can you not see that we have to accept and apply Western knowledge or lose ourselves in this changing world? Tell me how, any of you, my general, my court ministers are aware but my friendship with France is preventing Siam from being annexed as a colony at a time when the Western powers are establishing themselves in Asia.”

In kinder words he explained to Phetracha that he, as a king of an eastern kingdom, was highly honored by a Western embassy paying him respect, and that Siam was the first kingdom in the East to which such an honor had been accorded. “Other countries are being forced to yield territory and grant privileges to Western conquerors while I am treated as an equal by one of the greatest kings in Europe, and he has also invited us to send our own ambassador to France. So is not a little cajoling well worth the effort?”

Phetracha and his men departed, but Phetracha was still not satisfied with the king’s explanation. He instructed his men to keep watch on Phaulkon and to check every move that the French embassy made.

Phaulkon invited Bishop Laneau, the ambassador and his envoy to his home in Louvo for dinner and further discussions. A heated debate erupted between Phaulkon and the French. Chaumont complained vehemently that the king did not give him a chance to speak. “What could you have said?” Laneau asked. “He knows what he is talking about. We all agreed to what he said. Even if we review all his questions now, I can’t seem to find any reason to change him. I would have to agree. I know it is wrong to think so but the king spoke the truth.”

“Have you all gone insane?” Chaumont shouted, clutching a brandy glass in his hand and waving about, spilling most of it. “This whole kingdom is under the influence of the devil and I can see the devil is getting hold of you too!” He ordered Abbe de Choisy to pour him another drink, which Abbe did willingly. Chaumont continued. “What I heard from the king gives me more reason to believe that this kingdom must be converted to Christianity down to the last man, woman and child. In the meantime I propose all Christians leave this kingdom immediately before they all turn into pagans. How dare he compare the Catholic Church to their pagan ways!”

Phaulkon could feel that all his efforts were sliding down deep into a chasm from which they might never recover. The fact was that he was pleased with the king’s intellectual victory over Chaumont, but he realized now he must placate Chaumont with more promises for the sake of Siam. He could not afford to lose Chaumont’s trust in him. He needed Chaumont to report only good news from Siam to the King of France. He was aware that the security of Siam rested in his hands, and he knew only France could help keep Siam free by keeping the Dutch and the British at bay. Indeed, he had to appease Chaumont. He had to convince the ambassador that the mission of converting King Narai would be carried out.

With all his whim and wit, Phaulkon succeeded in cajoling Chaumont into believing that by King Narai gathering information and attempting to compare his faith and the Catholic faith was a good sign. He emphasized that the king must have been studying both religions, a sure indication that he was interested. This was a step forward. Phaulkon encouragingly suggested, “Now we just have to bait him with something deeper than the similarities of both religions. We must come up with something the Catholic faith has that the Buddhists do not have.” “And what could that be?” asked the ambassador. Bishop Laneau was as perplexed as the ambassador. What did Phaulkon have up his sleeve? But before Phaulkon could answer, Diego came to the dinner table and whispered that an emergency had arisen. A visitor was waiting outside to see him. Phaulkon excused himself, asked Marie to entertain his guests and left the dining hall.

Chapter 25D
The King’s Spiritual Perception

The king expressed himself in words and thoughts Phaulkon never expected to hear from an Eastern monarch. King Narai earnestly desired to know the ways of Western thought. He questioned why the King of France took an interest in matters that should only belong to the gods. “It appears,” he said, “that a Divine God has given us the right to choose as we please. The animal world itself has its own ways of living, and so do the flowers and plants have their own way of showing beauty and glory. Should one flower brag to another that its beauty and glory is truer? Must we not believe the Divine God is just as pleased to be worshipped by different peoples of different traditions and ceremonies, and to be praised by all the inhabitants of the earth in their own manner?”

Phaulkon could only listen. He realized now as never before how deep a thinker King Narai was. King Narai was an intellectual who had questions that needed intellectual answers which, during his time, not many people in the kingdom could give-Phaulkon excluded.

“I explicitly desire for you to inform the French ambassador,” began the king, “that I will omit nothing in my power to preserve the royal friendship of the most Christian king, or should I say ‘Catholic king’? You will have to teach me the difference of such terms one day.”

Phaulkon assured the king he would inform the French ambassador the matters just discussed. “I know not how he will react,” he said and grinned, “but I can imagine, knowing the Catholics, he will let it be known that there is indeed a big difference between man and beast; between reasoning and instinct.” Phaulkon was getting to the soul of the matter and the king listened with keen interest. These were the very things, in western thought, that puzzled King Narai for so long.

Phaulkon continued, “I do believe, Your Majesty, since God gave man the power of reasoning, it is only logical and an act of appreciation, and I might even add-obligation, that man must use his reasoning first and foremost in knowing his creator before proceeding with other duties in life.”

The king pondered his words and Phaulkon continued. He explained that it was fact chat different people praised God in different ways, according to the traditions of their ancestors, but only God alone can dictate how to be worshipped, according to his divine pleasure.

Phaulkon could see the king was somewhat skeptical. He gave an example: “In like manner, Your Majesty’s officers all claim to be your subjects, and all adhere to Your Majesty’s interests, but not all are sincere. Likewise, all men indeed claim to adhere to God, but not all are sincere. Some men, like beasts, live according to their unruly passions, professing their belief in God but without examining his teaching. Others, seeing themselves so far raised above the beasts, they use their power of reason to seek their own glory rather than seek out the glory of the God who made them, that they may worship Him according to His desire and will. And to this sincere quest God has attached the salvation of man. It follows then, Your Majesty, which is what I believe, that the negligence of such a quest in seeking God’s will makes man guilty in the eyes of Him who is the supreme God.”

The king praised Phaulkon for his fine spiritual discourse on God. He told Phaulkon how he enjoyed these discussions, and the probing of man’s mind, but it was a heavy subject and his own mind was getting tired and he needed to retire. The fact was, even Phaulkon surprised himself, that he was able to discuss these religious matters with the king, aware that he was not much of a spiritual man himself before he began reading the Greek Bible.

The Undiplomatic Ambassador’s Persistence

One afternoon Phaulkon escorted Chaumont and his embassy to a site where a new hospital and school were under construction. The architects were French missionaries and missionaries were doing the construction. Phaulkon asked the foreman how long it would take to complete the project. He replied it depended upon how many workers they had. It was missionaries who had volunteered to help.

As they walked past a Buddhist temple, Phaulkon went inside and entered the monk’s quarters. He went alone while Chaumont and the others waited outside as they considered it a sin to enter a pagan temple. Phaulkon politely told the monks about the new project and informed them their help would be appreciated.

As they continued their tour, Chaumont asked Phaulkon about the memorandum that he wrote to the king. Phaulkon said that for the first time he and the king had a religious discussion. He explained he had to be careful not to lead the king into avenues he was not familiar with as the king has a very sharp and inquisitive mind.

Chaumont commented that if Phaulkon had enough sleep, his mind then might be well enough rested to convert the king. “I have heard from Father Thomas that you have been staying up nights reading the Bible,” he said. He reminded Phaulkon that in years past, reading the Bible was punishable by death. He told Phaulkon to get rid of the Bible as it is only confusing him, that he was not capable of understanding it. “It’s not a matter of intellect but one of divine spirit.” He further reminded Phaulkon that if there was something he needed to know about the teachings of the Catholic Church, he must consult him, Father Thomas, or other Catholic missionaries. He then asked how much more time was needed before the king was ready for baptism.

Phaulkon admitted that he didn’t know. “Why does time matter?” he asked after a moment of reflection. “You say the king’s conversion is important. That may be true, but why the urgency? Why do we have to attach a time ultimatum to it?”

“Why? Because I cannot wait forever in this savage land,” he replied sharply with malice. “I have been here months, and I am sick of rice, and the smell of these strange odors everywhere I go! Besides, there are more important things to do back in France. So, my prince, I am commanding you, on behalf of King Louis XIV, press harder for the king’s conversion. If you do not succeed, I will return and regretfully report to the king our failure, in which case Siam will no longer have France’s backing. I trust you understand.”

Phaulkon was aware of the delicate position he was in. The ambassador’s comments aroused in him a desire to speak his mind, but he knew that would be fatal. He had to bear in mind that he could become disgruntled with such obstinacy. He made a suggestion, remembering what Marie had told him. If the king was agreeable, perhaps he, Chaumont, could conduct the discussions himself. Chaumont was delighted. “Marvelous!” he sang. “That means I don’t have to wait long in this heathen land.”

When Phaulkon returned home he asked Marie if she knew how Father Thomas knew about his obtaining the Bible. He explained to her he could be excommunicated for his merely reading the Bible. Marie answered in wonder, “Constantine, how can they do this to you? Without you they wouldn’t be here. You support the Christian faith more than anyone else. I was only sharing my concern with Father Thomas about your lack of sleep with all the pressures facing you.” She explained to Phaulkon the best she could that she had confided in the priest simply to express how deeply worried she was about her husband, and she didn’t know how she could help matters.

“Just trust me, my sweet,” Phaulkon said. “I know what to do. The fate of Siam rests upon me. Believe in me as you always have. That’s all the help I need and only you can give that. Have I ever failed you?” They held each other and Phaulkon fell asleep in her arms.

Finally, an English Bible

Phaulkon was pleased with the Greek Bible, and he took great delight in reading scriptures to Marie. He might have continued to be satisfied with the Greek Bible but then one day a package arrived from Captain Hollingsworth in England. He quickly opened it to find books on poetry and current literary writings from noted English writers, and there were newspaper clippings, general topics about happenings in England. Phaulkon loved these packets from the captain for they brought him up to date as to what was happening in England. But then, as he began scrutinizing the newspaper he found at the bottom of the pile a book with the cover removed, he took it in his hands and opened it to the first page. It was a Bible, an English Bible. He immediately called Marie. “Look what I have for you,” he said. ”A present from my dear friend in England, Captain Hollingsworth.” Marie was thrilled.

“Now I have my own Bible to read,” she sang with delight. But before giving the book to Marie he took it to his study and began reading it at length. How strange. It had been translated from the Greek text but not all of it was the same. He found discrepancies that came as a revelation. The church teaches that Jesus Christ is God. But he is the Son of God, not God. Why would Jesus be praying to God if he was God? It was clearly recorded that Jesus was always praying. To himself? And the cross, Jesus wasn’t nailed to a cross. He was nailed to a torture stake. The Bible said so. And why did they cut out God’s name, Jehovah, and call Him ‘Lord’ instead? Why? Why? He soon realized why the church didn’t want the Bible to be read by the common people. They had interpreted the scripture to their own liking, to serve their own purpose. He had much to discuss with the king now.

Chapter 25C
The Undiplomatic Ambassador

“Your Majesty,” Chaumont interrupted, “such matters of trade you should assign to someone else as I have more important things for Your Majesty to consider.”

Ambassador Chaumont may have started off on the right foot, but with the next step he stumbled. Phaulkon and the bishop could see it coming.

“More important than trade,” King Narai declared. “And what might they be?

Chaumont was straight to the point. “Your Majesty,” he began, “the object of my mission, as decreed by my master, the King of France, is to have the King of Siam consent to the study of the Christian religion.”

What happened next was abrupt and totally unexpected. Without uttering a word, King Narai got up from his throne, turned his back and left the audience hall. He left Chaumont standing there, dumbfounded, with Phaulkon and Bishop Laneau at his side.

The next day King Narai summoned Phaulkon to his chambers, He instructed him that he must go to Ambassador Chaumont and seek a trade agreement as soon as possible. This was one way to hold off the Dutch. When Phaulkon confronted the ambassador later that day, Chaumont said to tell King Narai he will have his embassy prepare a memorandum immediately covering trade issues. He would notify Phaulkon when the memorandum was ready. Progress at last, Phaulkon thought.

That night Phaulkon was in his study reading the Bible when Marie came unnoticed into the room. “My dear,” she said, interrupting him, “you are making it more difficult for yourself than need be. Follow Chaumont’s instructions and put aside your own ideas and beliefs and your job would be so much easier.” Phaulkon gave it some thought and after a time wondered if she might be right. Should he not back off? Easily said but while he sat with Marie in his study in Louvo, far away deep in the jungle, a band of thirty or more unruly men were huddled around a campfire. The flames leaped into the sky and cast a reflection upon the dense foliage of the jungle that surrounded them. It was like a dome, sealing them in and isolating them from the world outside. It gave them comfort and a false feeling of security. They were Makassars; the remnants of the rebel band of Muslims that had struck at the elephant hunt months before and a growing number of new recruits. Their numbers had increased and they were plotting against the Kingdom of Siam. Tempers were running high. Their leader was standing, waving a sword above his head, shouting at the top of his voice. “It’s time to strike,” he declared with vengeance. The man with the sword, the man doing the shouting, was Mosafat. He meant business. His men stood up, withdrew their weapons and swung them high above their heads. “The French are making an alliance with the king,” he continued, “and if they succeed, they will bring the Christian religion to the Siamese. Does the king make an alliance with Islam? No!” he shouted. “Do you see how the king welcomes these Christian devils with splendor and with honor? Did the king treat the Persian embassy with the same honor? No! Is this not a sign that the King of Siam has more affection for Christians than for Muslims? Yes! It is time to strike! Remember our brothers who were slaughtered by the king’s general and his son, after taking the word of the Greek minister? They must pay!

They must pay in blood!”

“Pay in blood, Christian traitors,” the men took up the chant and began shouting-“Pay in blood! Pay in blood!”

“Yes! Yes!” shouted Mosafat. “We must spill their blood and mix it with the dung of the wild beasts. And the man who is the Greek must die before them, and he shall die by my hands. Leave him to me and I shall kill him in the name of Allah.”

The morning after Phaulkon had his talk with Marie, Ambassador Chaumont informed him that he and the embassy had completed drafting the memorandum and that it was ready for his perusal. Phaulkon went with Bishop Laneau to the ambassador’s residence in Louvo. Chaumont handed Phaulkon the memorandum the moment they came through the door. He was smiling from ear to ear, like a proud father who has seen his child take his first step. Phaulkon read the memorandum and, unable to control himself any longer, went into a rage. He cared not that he was in the presence of an ambassador. In one burst of anger he cast diplomacy to the wind. The memorandum dealt exclusively with religion and very little with trade. “This is ridiculous,” Phaulkon shouted. Bishop Laneau didn’t need to translate. The ambassador lost the smile and snapped at Phaulkon.

“I am not one to be humiliated,” he said gravely. “I have given the King of Siam a memorandum as requested and those are the terms.”

“You mean an ultimatum,” Phaulkon snapped. “And you state that I shall help with the conversion of King Narai, or else the king should forget help from King Louis.”

“That is correct,” he replied. “Now, if you please, take this to your king and I shall be waiting for a reply.” There was no more to be said.

With no other choice, Phaulkon took Chaumont’s memorandum to the king, as he was directed to do by the ambassador. Bishop Laneau accompanied him to do the translating. When they entered King Narai’s chambers, they threw themselves at the king’s feet, with Phaulkon addressing him most humbly. He told the king that he brought this disgraceful document against his will. He asked the king’s permission for Bishop Laneau to read the document and translated it from French into the Tai language. The king agreed.

When Bishop Laneau finished reading, Phaulkon told the king that although he shared the same faith with the King of France and believed in the same God, and though it has been placed upon him by the French to instruct His Majesty in the Christian faith, he could not rightfully do so. He admitted to the king that he himself did not fully understand the teachings of his faith and that he had only accepted it blindly to marry Marie.

Surprisingly, the king was sympathetic. He dismissed Bishop Laneau and commanded Phaulkon to be seated. He told Phaulkon he appreciated his honesty and his faithfulness to his God. However, he asked Phaulkon what could have made the King of France assume he would leave his faith that has been the religion of his kingdom for more than twenty centuries.

Phaulkon explained that King Louis heard of His Majesty’s support given to the French missionaries, the churches he allowed to be built and the alms he gives generously to the expansion of the Catholic faith. “This, Your Majesty, has made your most trusted friend, the King of France, believe you were inclined to the Catholic faith.”

King Narai wanted to know what the French ambassador said when Phaulkon told him that he, the King of Siam, could not leave the religion of his ancestors for another belief.

Phaulkon replied, “The ambassador believes it is only natural that you would react this way, but nothing should prevent him from carrying out his master’s instruction to teach Your Majesty the doctrine of the Catholic faith.” Phaulkon further explained that King Louis of France had given his ambassador specific instructions not to delay in carrying out his mission as word had reached him that the Persian Ambassador had arrived in Siam bringing with him the Koran. “It is feared, Your Majesty, that you may adopt the Muslim faith. This is why the French ambassador feels very much obliged to show Your Majesty the way to embrace the Catholic faith.”

“It’s true, the Persian ambassador brought the Koran,” the king admitted. “Ha!”-he gave a hearty laugh-“Were I to leave my religion for another, it certainly would not be for Islam. That much I would like to assure my most honorable Christian friend, King Louis. You can inform the ambassador I will do all that I can to uphold the friendship bestowed by his most Christian Majesty, the King of France. I regret, however, that he has made me a most difficult proposal, wanting an answer that is not mine to give. It belongs to the people I represent. It’s a matter so delicate, yet one that is very strong in the hearts of my people who have followed the religion of Siam for more than two thousand years. Being a king himself, he should understand the complexities of such matters as changing one’s religion.”

Chapter 25B
The Bible’s Translation into English

In the same breath he talked about King Narai. He explained that now he could talk to the king intelligibly and honestly. No more guessing games. No more depending upon biased clergy to give the answers. All these wonderful thoughts raced through his mind. Having a Greek Bible, a Bible in his own native language, his troubles were over he thought; but yet, he also realized with a Bible in his hand that he was opening the door to troubles. He remembered Captain Hollingsworth telling him that many good people were executed for their Bible knowledge. For centuries the Bible had been available mostly in Latin and could be read only by the clergy. Then in the 14th century came John Wycliffe, the first man to translate the complete Bible into the language of the people of his time. Because of his prominence among the ruling and scholarly classes he was allowed to die in peace. But that is not the end of his story. A hundred and fifty years later came William Tyndale. Like Wycliffe before him, he wanted to make available a Bible that could be read and understood by the common people. It was a dangerous undertaking which resulted in his execution. He was strangled and his body burned, burned together with the exhumed bones of John Wycliffe.

Indeed, Captain Hollingsworth had said that people like John Wycliffe, and William Tyndale, and other individuals who sought the truth had been executed by the Catholic Church for exposing doctrine that the church did not want them to rightfully know. Not that Tyndale, Wycliffe and the others deliberately exposed the false doctrine of the church but by bringing up the Bible truth, somehow their lies became exposed. Phaulkon knew he was treading on forbidden ground.

“Master, master,” Diego said, bringing Phaulkon back to reality. “Master, maybe you can find the passage from the old man.

Remember when we-“

“Yes, yes,” Phaulkon said, “I remember when we were on the raft-Psalm 37. I’ll find it!” He began turning the pages excitedly. At last he found what he was looking for. Diego could see his face light up.  . .

“You found it; you found it,” Diego shouted with delight. Then turning to Marie, he said, “I know very little about these things but I do remember when I was a little boy back home, my mother had just died and this old man showed my father and me a passage from the Holy book he carried with him. He said that I will see my mother again, back here on Earth, and then we can all live happily ever after. It all came back to me when we were shipwrecked. I can’t forget that passage. It’s all I know really-Psalm 37.29”

“Yes Diego, it’s here, it’s here,” Phaulkon said waving his hand above his head. He read: “And the righteous themselves will possess the earth and they will reside forever upon it.”

Phaulkon was as pleased as Diego was for now he had seen it himself. Phaulkon was soon lost in his own reverie, turning from one page to another. Diego quietly slipped away! And Marie went upstairs to bed and Phaulkon stayed awake reading the Bible until dawn. And then when he went to bed, he couldn’t sleep. He was thrilled but he also knew his problems were just beginning. After reading only a dozen pages or more at random from the Bible, he realized, after all, it was not an easy book to read let alone to understand. The very things he was taught about the Christian faith were not the same as what was written in the Holy book, at least not those things he had been taught by the clergy. He wondered, “”Was it the translation of this Greek Bible that caused all the problems in the church?” He got out of bed and went to his desk and there he looked for his letters from Captain Hollingsworth.

The candles had long since burned out but there was enough light to read. He had written a letter to Captain Hollingsworth to hurry with the English Bible. Phaulkon had been communicating with Captain Hollingsworth, now retired and living in Hampton north of London. The captain spent his days doing what he wanted to do after a lifetime at sea and that was to study and research at Oxford University. Phaulkon read the letters over and over and fell asleep with his head on the desk.

“Frenchness”

The next afternoon Phaulkon went to see Ambassador Chaumont at his residence along with Bishop Laneau to do the translating. He found him reclining on a lounge chair being fanned by two near-naked servant girls. He opened the discourse by explaining to the ambassador that the Siamese are concerned about Dutch intervention; the king’s ministers wanted to know if the support they were getting from King Louis would continue. “King Narai would like to seal a firm alliance with France,” Phaulkon said.

“I assure you,” Chaumont replied, after sending the servant girls away, “that the King of France will do all in his power to protect Siam from the Dutch but for now, my mission is not to discuss war but to teach King Narai the doctrine of Christian faith.”

Phaulkon could see that Chaumont was not a man to try to reason with. He was persistent and his thoughts were fixed. He was indomitable. He found refuge by stating he was entrusted with the responsibility of converting King Narai to Christianity and nothing else mattered. Both Phaulkon and the bishop attempted to plead to his better senses.

“It is not an easy goal to achieve,” Phaulkon stressed. “King Narai is head of a kingdom that has worshipped their own god for some two thousand years.”

“That’s all the more reason we must press harder for the king’s conversion,” he replied.

Phaulkon explained the best he could that King Narai’s faith was as strong as the ambassador’s, that the king was willing to die for his belief, and he would do everything to protect, preserve and extend his faith to others. In final desperation Phaulkon said, “Your Excellency has asked me to help in this grave matter, to assist in teaching a king the Christian faith when I myself do not fully understand its teachings. You assign me this most difficult work which I have no desire to carry out as I am not equipped to do so.”

“Tell me, Monsieur Constantine,” Chaumont said, ignoring Phaulkon’s statement completely, “have you talked to the king about his conversion yet?”

“How can I when I don’t even know where to begin?” Phaulkon asked.

“No matter,” Chaumont said. “I shall start the dialogue myself with the king, with you, Constantine, as our interpreter.”

“Your Excellency, you do not understand,” Phaulkon said, with Bishop Laneau nodding his approval, “you cannot do it that way. The king would just tell us to leave. Even if the king were interested, he would have to pretend not to be. The whole country would rebel, giving generals and ministers the opportunity to seize the throne.”

“I can and must do it my way,” Chaumont insisted. “Leave that up to me. God is on my side.” He then, without further words, dismissed Phaulkon and Bishop Laneau.

Ambassador Chaumont’s second audience with King Narai was arranged. Both Phaulkon and Bishop Laneau accompanied him to the meeting. With the greeting and formalities completed, Chaumont confirmed, at the king’s bidding, that there were rumors that the Dutch were planning an attack on Siam, as they were jealous of Siam’s relationship with France. Phaulkon breathed a sigh of relief. At least the ambassador started off on the right foot. King Narai then asked the ambassador his opinion of the Dutch.

“The Dutch wouldn’t dare attack Siam,” he said. “The Dutch owe King Louis respect after our magnificent French victories in Europe.”

King Narai said he hoped the ambassador was right, that he still didn’t trust the Dutch, and he then turned to trade matters.

Chapter 25A
THE MEMORANDUM

The demands the French were putting on Phaulkon were a heavy burden that deeply troubled him. It was becoming, to say the least, emotionally draining. He felt, in all honesty, that he could not proceed much longer with their requests. How could he assist the French ambassador and his embassy in converting King Narai and his kingdom to Christianity when he himself had doubts? All his life he had been confused with the tenets of Christianity and no bishop, no priest, no father, no brother, no missionary, not one of them could give him the answers he sought. In the final analysis, he reasoned, how could they? They were fighting among themselves about which scriptures were right and which were wrong.

The most disturbing issue was France’s revocation of the Edict of Nantes. King Narai had lauded the Edict. Issued in 1598 by Henry N of France, it granted French Protestant Huguenots substantial rights in a Catholic nation. The Edict separated civil from religious unity, and opened a path for secularism and tolerance. It offered general freedom of conscience to individuals. King Narai pointed out to Phaulkon, in one of their discussions, that Siam had long been tolerant toward religion. Phaulkon’s very own wife, and her father, had been granted asylum when they fled Japan from religious persecution by the Shogun. And did not the king grant asylum to the Makassars? The Edict of Nantes was an act of toleration which stood virtually alone and separated France from the rest of Europe. Now King Louis XIV was rescinding it. The new Edict of Fontainebleau revoked the Edict of Nantes, retaining Catholicism as the established religion of France. The authorities limited Protestant freedom of worship to specified geographic areas, outside city walls. The Edict did not include Jews or Muslims. Protestantism was declared illegal within city walls. King Narai was aware of what was happening in France and it disturbed him immensely to think the very people who were attempting to convert him were so intolerant and uncompromising.

As the French were making their demands, King Narai was faced with other crises. There were reports that the Dutch, due to French involvement in the kingdom, planned to attack Siamese strongholds in the south and on the Andaman Sea. To further complicate the matters, rumors were that the Muslims were building up strength and becoming progressively more agitated with the French for aligning themselves with King Narai. Reports were that the rebels had set up camps in the jungle outside Kung Thep, a village the French called Bangkok, down river from Ayutthaya on the right bank of the river. The Muslims were not pleased with the French building a fortress on the riverbank across from the village.

These were not unwarranted complaints which Phaulkon pointed out to King Narai but which, he carefully explained, could be handled diplomatically. It was true that the French had constructed a fortress across the river from Bangkok but it was manned with the king’s soldiers as well as a French garrison. The French had also built a fortress for the king in Songkau in the south. About the Muslim rebels amassing another force, no one was certain, not even General Phetracha. Phaulkon informed the king he would send spies to investigate. He would also try to ascertain the allegations of a Dutch threat. One person who might have the answer to the Dutch question was the French Ambassador Chaumont. Phaulkon agreed that he would gladly consult with the Ambassador and bring him before His Majesty.

After leaving the king’s chambers, Phaulkon turned to Diego for help. While Christoph guarded Marie and the baby at their residence in Louvo, Diego went down to the river waterfront to see what he could find out about Muslims massing in the jungle. He put aside his finery and jeweled sword, donned old seamen’s clothes and began scouring the waterfront with the pretense he was looking for work aboard any of the vessels moored on the river. He went from one ship to another, talking to the seamen and wharf laborers. It was by chance and chance alone that he made a colossal discovery, one that he not even remotely expected. Of course, at the time, he was unaware of what he had found. It came totally by accident.

As was the procedure, hundreds of vessels were anchored in the center of the river in lines of twos and threes that stretched miles down steam. Diego hired a skiff to scull him out to the ships. The European square-riggers were harder to approach. Armed marines aboard the vessels turned him away every time he approached; the Japanese junks were much the same; they didn’t want intruders. The easier ones to approach were the Chinese junks, usually very dilapidated and not worth investigating. They had nothing to reveal. Next were the Arab dhows. They didn’t care who came aboard. But the crews had little information of any value.

A copy of the Greek Septuagint

It was getting late and he was about ready to give up, when he saw a weather-beaten Portuguese trader anchored far down river. He went aboard to find that most of the crew were Greek. They were not likely to be knowledgeable about Muslim uprisings but by this time it was late and Diego was tired. He had one last bottle of Jamaican rum which he removed from his sack when he climbed aboard. The Greek sailors, upon seeing the rum, immediately perked up and asked Diego to bring his bottle and sit with them around the capstan at the fo’c’sle. When they learned that Diego was an old hand in the kingdom they bombarded him with questions about Siam and the people. Most of the sailors, long in the service of Portuguese ships, could speak Portuguese. Being the good storyteller that he was, Diego told them what they wanted to know. The conversation drifted from one thing to another and then, quite by accident, one of the seamen mentioned a Holy Book that he had in his possession. Diego asked if he could see it. The seaman was reluctant at first, fearing the goading he would get from his mates for showing something so worthless, but he finally agreed and went below deck to get the book.

Diego was disappointed when the seaman showed him the book, an act that brought laughter from everyone around the capstan. And no small wonder. It was quite tattered and threadbare and the writing was some sort of archaic script. But a thought came to Diego. He was aware of Phaulkon’s disappointment after not being able to obtain a copy of the Holy Book and wondered, perhaps, if this worn old volume might please him. The seaman didn’t want to part with it, but when Diego offered him a price, and with his mates urging him on, he couldn’t refuse and accepted Diego’s offer.

With the book in hand, Diego made his way to Phaulkon’s residence in Louvo. Christoph was on guard when he arrived.

“I see you have come back and I trust that it is with good news you bring,” he said to Diego when he saw him coming up the walkway.

“Yeah, but see what I got here,” Diego said and held up the packet for Christoph to see.

It was the middle of the night and Diego, being in a happy mood, decided, against Christoph’s protests, to wake up Phaulkon and present him with his discovery. It wasn’t necessary. Their ruckus had awoken Phaulkon and he was not pleased with Diego’s sudden outburst. He came to the door and was about to reprimand him but stopped when Diego unfolded the cloth covering that bound the book. Phaulkon was, at first, mystified. What sort of epistle was this? He hesitated, slowly turning to the first page, and then the second. He took the book into the front room, followed by Diego, and lighted several candles. Studying the book closer, he ran his finger over the page. The writing was Greek script which he had learned when a schoolboy. He turned to the title page. It was sudden, like a bolt of lightning hitting him. He was astounded beyond belief. He couldn’t control himself and let out a shout that awoke the whole household and brought Marie running down the stairs.

“Do you realize what you have here?” Phaulkon shouted with glee and threw his arm around Diego and then picked up Marie and spun her around the room. “Do you realize this is a Greek Bible, a Bible written in my own language?” He carefully laid the book down on the table and motioned for Marie and Diego to come closer. “A Greek Bible!” he repeated. “I’ve been trying to find an English Bible for the longest time. I always thought to find one in Greek would be impossible. Then look at this-a Greek Bible!” He stumbled for words. “I have-” He looked at Marie and Diego. “No, we-” he emphasized the word ‘we’-“we have a Greek Bible! In 280 B.C, seventy Hebrew scholars gathered in Alexandria and worked twenty years to translate the Hebrew Bible into Greek. They called it the Septuagint.” He became more excited as he explained the Bible. “These are original scriptures that haven’t been changed or altered. Now we can find the answers to our questions.”

Chapter 24B

Questions on Religious Truth

And so, early the next morning, they departed from Wat Prote Saht for the final passage upriver to meet the King of Siam in his palace. Hundreds of beautifully decorated barges accompanied the visitors to their destination. In the center of the grand procession, gliding effortlessly along, was a golden, jewel-encrusted barge lined with fine Persian carpets. Amidships was an ornate presentation stand of solid gold, and it was here the Siamese officials placed the letter from Louis XIV. A hundred men splendidly dressed in red silk penangs, golden tunics and scarlet headpieces paddled this immense barge, nearly two hundred feet long. They kept their cadence, perfectly timed, dipping their oars in unison, then pausing holding them in midair, to the tune of drummers setting the pace-kupong, kupong, kupong. And at every temple along the way the chant of monks filtered out across the water.

Behind this barge came another richly ornamented vessel in which Ambassador Chaumont was seated on a chair covered with rich red velvet. And behind the ambassador’s barge came another barge, equally beautiful, with Abbe de Choisy sitting proudly aboard. He waved incessantly and jubilantly to the people along the banks of the river, often times standing up and unfolding his arms like a Roman senator. He relished the moment with great joy and enthusiasm.

Phaulkon followed in yet another splendid, bejeweled barge. He sat alone, amidships, as solemn as a marble statue. His thoughts couldn’t help drifting back to the first time he came upriver when he was in chains in the bilge of a slave boat. What a twist of fate. Now he was being honored, and yet wasn’t he the same person with the same ideas and the same beliefs?

They were soon joined by hundreds of smaller barges and river boats carrying nobles and courtiers. The River Menam was a mass of beautiful barges and riverboats, all moving together upriver with a rendezvous to keep.

When they reached the city wall and disembarked, a new procession on land quickly formed, led by nobles and court officials on elephant back, all in line according to their rank. Two guards in long tailcoats and plumed hats led the ambassador to a carved sedan chair and bid him be seated. Ten men, all dressed alike in costumes of Hong dancers, hoisted the chair with the ambassador elegantly seated, and carried him forward through the streets. The Abbe de Choisy followed in another beautifully carved sedan chair, and with Abbe in his chair was the gold stand bearing the precious letter. More than a hundred elephants in war harness led the way, and all along the route the people of Ayutthaya, by the thousands, prostrated themselves on the ground. The procession reached the second court and here there were fifty more elephants, taller than the first group, all bedecked with gold cloths and jewels. The elephants, with their mahouts sitting astride their backs, kneeled with their heads bent to the ground. It was magnificent to behold.

In the last court, a short distance after the procession had marched past the king’s famous White Elephant, everyone dismounted and proceeded on foot to the audience hall. Abbe de Choisy attempted to carry the stand, fondling it in his arms, but being made of pure gold it weighed a hundred pounds and was too much for him. After a very short distance in the downpour of tropical heat he was about to faint. Two assistants came to his aid and took up the load. Abbe de Choisy sobbed seeing it slip from his fingers.

Phaulkon and Father Tachard walked with Ambassador Chaumont to the palace. Bishop Laneau followed a few paces behind them. As they walked, Chaumont didn’t stop talking. He rambled on about his meeting with the Pope and about the power of the Catholic Church in Europe. It was almost as though he was still in France. Phaulkon wanted to tell him about Siam and the Siamese, about the customs and habits of the land, and about the history of the kingdom. But Chaumont cared only about himself, to make his own presence known, and, of course, about his mission. Every other word was about converting the king. Phaulkon listened politely, accepted the talk like a forlorn child, but when Chaumont began questioning him about his own beliefs he became quite annoyed. “This is not the place or the time to discuss religion,” Phaulkon said abruptly to the annoyance of Chaumont. Phaulkon had noted from the moment they met that Chaumont was a religious zealot and his unbending and humorless demeanor would not endear him to the Siamese court. Phaulkon became aware, the more they conversed, that the ambassador’s indignation for those who didn’t believe as he did arose from his destructive puritanism. Phaulkon saw trouble ahead, and he alone had to find a solution to divert what was certain to be calamity.

They reached the entrance to the palace and Phaulkon led the way through five courts to the audience hall. Phaulkon feared that General Phetracha and Sorasak might be present but they were nowhere in sight. That was a relief. Nor were there many nobles present. The gathering was small which made matters much easier. Phaulkon had worked out a plan that he now started to put into motion.

At one end of the hall was an alcove with a balcony about seven or eight feet above the floor. A curtain was drawn across the alcove. Phaulkon pointed out to the others that behind the curtain sat King Narai.

Protocol required those who approached the king, when presenting their credentials, must do so on hands and knees. Phaulkon solved this delicate diplomatic impasse by having the ambassador walk with uncovered head to the centre of the hall between the lines of prostrated courtiers and take up his position in front of the king in a chair provided for him, giving the impression that he was lame. The curtain opened and Phaulkon got down on his knees in Siamese fashion, and prostrated himself three times before the king. He bid for the others to do the same, which they did.

As instructed by Phaulkon, Chaumont bowed in the direction of the king and began to read his address in French, which Bishop Laneau translated into English. Phaulkon took over from there. But Phaulkon did not translate exactly as he heard it. He glossed over the religious issues.

When Chaumont finished his speech, he took the royal letter from Abbe de Choisy, and delivered it by hand to the king. There followed an awkward moment. Chaumont, the scoundrel that he was, felt that for him to reach up to the king was a gesture that was derogatory to the dignity of his position as ambassador. He refused to raise the letter higher than the level of his outstretched hand. King Narai tactfully put an end to this impasse by stooping forward and with a smile took the letter in hand. Chaumont felt the victory was his. King Narai on the other hand felt sorry for the invalid who had to reach so far. King Narai conversed through Phaulkon with the French ambassador for an hour, asking about the health of King Louis and the royal family, and what new conquests the French had made. Chaumont replied the last conquest was Luxembourg, which compelled all Europe to sue for peace.

The king asked Chaumont if he and his master were aware of the first Siamese Envoy that perished. Chaumont replied they were and his king was much affected by the tragic news. He further stated that he blamed the tragedy upon the greedy, territory-hungry Dutch. King Narai did not hide his displeasure at hearing this. Nevertheless, perhaps from his dislike of talking about their adversary, he changed the subject by asking if King Louis was satisfied with his trade agreement with Siam, which Chaumont replied with a positive answer. When satisfied with the reply. King Narai ordered that the curtain be closed and the ceremony was over.

Phaulkon gave the embassy officials a tour of the palace, including a visit to see the king’s collection of sacred white elephants, the pride of the country. The French were astounded to see that the elephants were served food and drink in plates and bowls of pure gold. Phaulkon emphasized the importance of elephants in Siamese life and folklore, especially white elephants.

That evening Phaulkon entertained the French at his home in Louvo. Chaumont presented him two precious gifts-the Holy Missal, from the Pope himself, and a Cross from King Louis. Phaulkon expressed his gratitude for the presents, and he took the opportunity to tell Chaumont that he had waited endless months for a copy of the Bible he had sent for but it had not arrived. Chaumont told him that the reason might be that the Pope had forbidden the use of the Bible to the common people. “It is a book hard to understand and requires divine guidance,” Chaumont said. “The Holy Missal is what Catholics must have in its place. This book contains the doctrine and the teachings of the Catholic faith.”

Phaulkon commented that when he was growing up in England, the common people had their own copies of the Holy Book and seemed to understand it without any obstacle. Chaumont arrogantly answered, “That’s why they’re not Catholics! They imagine they can understand scriptures and they question the authority of the Catholic Church.”

Phaulkon decided this was his chance to debate the ambassador with religious matters that plagued him. “How can I converse with King Narai if I am not sure myself?” he asked, but before the ambassador could reply he went on. “If we are to work on the king’s conversion, where do we begin? Is it not logical that we start with the original book, the Holy Book? The Missal is only a book of prayers and songs. The king will have some serious questions he wants answered.”

Chaumont emphatically informed Phaulkon that the Missal included parts of the New Testament. “That’s plenty enough for King Narai,” he said.

After they had parted company, Phaulkon thought to himself what a terrible pity it was that foreigners underestimated King Narai. Little did they know that King Narai was not a man to be satisfied with half answers.

Nor was Phaulkon pleased with Chaumont’s off-handed remarks about the Bible. Phaulkon needed answers, not answers from biased parties, and for these he would need the Bible. Without it, how could he answer the questions that King Narai would certainly ask sooner or later?