On the 8"" of March, 1649, when the People were assembled in the Church by order of the Hon'''^ Director General Petrus Stuyvesant, Cornelis Melyn requested that the Mandamus granted by their High Mightinesses may be read and served there by the Nine Men, and that it may be read particularly by Arnoldus van Hardenbergh. Whereupon, alter some discussion and obtained consent, it followed that Cornelis Melyn handed the aforesaid Mandamus to the said Hardenbergh in order that he may read it. Then the General demanded. If he wished to have it served now Cornelis Melyn answered yes. "?

The General said. Then must have the copy and snatched the Mandamus from the I ;

abovenamed Hardenbergh's hands, so that their High Mightinesses' seal fell almost entirely off, hardly hanging to a small strip of parchment. Cornelis Melyn said, The copy is annexed to it; so that on the interposition of some persons, it was returned by the General. Then was it received and out of respect for their High Mightinesses the Noble Lords States General and

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HOLLAND DOCUMENTS: V. 353 their Commission, read by me Arnold van Hnrdenbergh who summoned his Honor by virtue thereof, to appear, by the first opportunity, at the Hague before their High Mightinesses, there to hear such demand and conclusion as Cornells Melyn shall desire to institute or make against his Honor. Whereunto his Honor made answer, to the best of our recollection -- / honor the Slates and their Commission, and will obey their Comma7ids, and send an Agent to maintain the Judgment, as it was ivell and legally pronounced. I demanded to have the answer in writing, but the