There appeared before me, notary, and the witnesses named below, Steven Buttervelt, tobacco merchant, aged about 29 years, and Bartholomeus Smit, likewise tobacco merchant, aged about 41 years, both living within this city, who testified and declared, upon their respective consciences, the salvation of their souls, and their word of honour in place of an oath, at the instance and request of Wouter Smith, tobacco merchant of Amsterdam, that the following is true.
First, the aforesaid Steven Buttervelt [testified] that before Christmas last past (without wishing to be held to the exact time), in The Hague, he bought from certain Spaniards who were lodged at [the inn called] the Stork, a roll of tobacco weighing eight pounds, for the sum of four guilders in cash [per pound — this phrase is unclear/garbled in the source transcription].
After this, the aforesaid Bartholomeus Smit testified and declared that around the aforesaid time he had asked the aforesaid Spaniards about one hundred and fifty pounds of tobacco for sale, who showed him five or six rolls; and he, the deponent, asked to see a larger quantity, because he and his associates intended to buy one hundred and fifty pounds, or a hogshead. Whereupon the aforesaid Spaniards answered that they would lay out some of the aforesaid rolls as a sample and would then discuss the sale, and they held or asked six guilders for each pound; whereupon he, the deponent, together with his associates, offered three guilders in cash for each pound; and since they could not agree with one another concerning the price, they parted from one another without concluding anything or making any bargain. In all of this, the aforesaid Spaniards and the deponents made use of Servaes Groffy, soldier under the guard of His Princely Excellency, as interpreter.
Testifying nothing further, the deponents offered to confirm all the foregoing further, in case of recolement [a formal re-reading and confirmation], before any lords and courts; the requesting party requested a deed hereof.
Thus done within Leiden, at the house and office of me, the notary, on the 9th of July in the year 1621, in the presence of Thomas Harmanszoon Verhaegen and Henrick Mathijszoon van Govert, my clerks, as witnesses requested hereto.
[Signed] Steven Butterfield. Bartel Melsmijt. Thomas Hermansen Verhagen. H.M. van Govert. In my presence, P. van Rhijn, notary public, 1621.
Translation by Radicae, The Leiden Connection, from the Dutch transcription supplied by Erfgoed Leiden. One short phrase describing the price of the first roll of tobacco ("...vier gulden aen contant gelt we het pondt...") is awkwardly worded or possibly corrupted in the source transcription; it has been rendered as literally as possible.
