Today, the fourth day of the month of March in the year sixteen hundred twenty-two, there appeared before me, Jan Mote, notary public, admitted by the Court of Holland upon the nomination of those of the magistracy of the city of Leiden, and in the presence of the undersigned witnesses, Willem Britsman, Englishman, tobacco merchant, aged about forty-five years, residing within this city of Leiden (well known to me, the notary), who declared and deposed, upon his manly truth, conscience, and the salvation of his soul, in place of an oath, at the instance and request of Daeniell Barts, merchant of Amsterdam, to make known the truth, namely:
how that he, the deponent, about two years ago, having been requested by a certain Pieter Janszoon, Scotsman, likewise a tobacco merchant residing in Amsterdam, to come to the aforesaid city of Amsterdam to purchase some quantity of tobacco, with an offer to pay the deponent's travel expenses; whereupon the deponent accordingly betook himself to Amsterdam, and upon arriving there the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon summoned a certain broker to his, Pieter Janszoon's, house — whose name is unknown to the deponent — and sent the aforesaid broker to the requester, in the deponent's name, to fetch a sample of tobacco, but with the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon forbidding the aforesaid broker to mention Pieter Janszoon's name or to refer to him; which the broker accordingly did, and brought a sample to the house of the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon, whereupon a purchase was made by the broker, in the presence of the deponent, of about one hundred and eighty pounds of tobacco with the requester, at three guilders and ten stuivers per pound, which tobacco, having been weighed at the weigh-house, was brought to the house of the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon.
The deponent further declared that, the next day, intending to travel to Leiden with the tobacco, the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon thereupon declared and said that he had laid an attachment [on the goods] in order to obtain payment of four hundred and sixty guilders for the purchase of tobacco which the deponent owed to the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon.
Of the tobacco so purchased, the deponent left with the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon a quantity greater in value than four hundred guilders, in satisfaction of his debt, since the deponent had previously given the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon some money; and the tobacco was weighed out again in the presence of the aforesaid broker at the house of the aforesaid Pieter Janszoon. Testifying nothing further, the deponent offering the same to be confirmed at all times, should it be necessary and required, before all lords, courts, and judges, by solemn oath; the deponent consenting that an instrument in form be drawn up hereof by me, the notary, and delivered to the requester.
Thus done and passed within the city of Leiden at the office of me, the notary, on the day, month, and year as above, in the presence of Pieter Passavandt de Jonghe, citizen within this city, and Pieter Franckenszoon van der Hidde, clerk at my office, both as witnesses requested and required hereto, who together with the appearer and me, the notary, signed the minute. Willem Britsman, his own mark set. Pieter Passavant de Jonghe. Pieter Franckenszoon van der Hidde. J. Mote, notary public.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection, from the Dutch transcription supplied by Erfgoed Leiden.
