be able to do service to the Netherland nation, to repay richly
the cost, and to thank its benefactors.

<1> Reverend Johannes Backerus.

High Mighty Lords! We have had the boldness to write this
remonstrance, and to represent matters as we have done from
love of the truth, and because we felt ourselves obliged to
do so by our oath and conscience. It is true that we have not
all of us at one time or together seen, heard and met with
every detail of its entire contents. Nevertheless there is
nothing in it but what is well known by some of us to be true
and certain;--the most is known by all of us to be true. We
hope Their High Mightinesses will pardon our presumption and be
charitable with our plainness of style, composition and method.
In conclusion we commit Their High Mightinesses, their persons,
deliberations and measures and their people, at home and abroad,
together with all the friends of New Netherland, to the merciful
guidance and protection of the Most High, whom we supplicate
for Their High Mightinesses' present and eternal welfare. Amen.

Done this 28th of July in New Netherland, subscribed, "ADRIAEN
VANDER DONCK, AUGUSTIJN HERMANSZ, ARNOLDUS VAN HARDENBERGH,
JACOB VAN COUWENHOVEN, OLOFF STEVENSZ" (by whose name was
written "Under protest--obliged to sign about the government
of the Heer Kieft"), "MICHIEL JANSZ, THOMAS HAL, ELBERT ELBERTSZ,
GOVERT LOKERMANS, HENDRICK HENDRICKSZ KIP and JAN EVERTSBOUT."
Below was written, "After collation with the original remonstrance,
dated and subscribed as above, with which these are found to
correspond, at the Hague, the 13th October, 1649, by me;" and was