In his deposition on May 6, 1717,
before his trial for piracy in Boston, Massachusetts, in October, 1716, Hendrik
Quintor declared that he was born in Amsterdam, Aged 25 years, a Mariner.
That
he was taken in a Spanish Briganteen by Labous
Commander of the Sloop Postillion,
and Bellamy Commander of the Sloop Mary Anne and being bound to La Vera
Cruz, the Pirates told him he should go to the Coast of Crocus, but afterwards
they compelled him to stay, and during the time he was with them they took 3
French Ships and then clean’d at the Main Land of Hispaniola.
After
that they took 3 English Ships, viz. Richard’s, Tosor’s and Williams’s, and
went to St. Croix, where a French Pirate was blown up. That this Examinate and
the other six, who were sent on board the Pink were Forced Men.
On
the way to the gallows after their trial in Boston, in November, 1716, Hendrik
had this conversation with the Reverend Cotton Mather, who accompanied the men
to the scaffold:
CM:
Quinter. Thou art come into a Dark Time.
HQ:
‘Tis a Dark Time with me.
CM:
But will you receive it, if I bring you Light on this Darkness!
HQ:
God be merciful to me!
CM:
One who had been a Great Sinner, had this Experiment: I said I will confess my
Transgressions unto the Lord, and thou forgavest the Iniquity of my Sin. May
not this be your Experience too?
HQ:
I wish it may!
CM:
When you have Sinned, you have swallowed a Deadly Payson. With a Vomit of
Repentance, and Confession, you must cast up this Deadly Poison. If your Soul
go away with it, you are Banished from GOD, and fixed in Eternal Miseries.
HQ:
What shall I do?
CM:
Do you Confess, That you are a very Great Sinner?
HQ:
Yes, I confess, I have committed all manner of Sins.
CM:
But are you sensible, That you have an Heart full of Sin; An Heart that is
desperately wicked? All the Sin in your Life, came out of your Heart. Are you
Troubled, that you have such an Heart?
HQ:
Heartily Troubled.
CM:
Do you Look up to GOD for a New Heart?
HQ:
With all my Heart.
CM:
Do you own that GOD is Righteous in all the Evil that is come upon you?
HQ:
Yes, I do.
CM:
But now, Your Confession must be made, with a Faith Leaning on the Great
Sacrifice. On every Stroke in your Confession of your Sin, you must add: Lord
Pardon my Sin, for the sake of the Blood of SAVIOUR.
HQ:
I desire to do so.
CM:
But, we are taught, He that confesseth and forsaketh shall find mercy. You wil
have no Opportunity now, for the Experiment of a Reformed Life; You cannot now
Live to see whether you don’t Return unto Folly. But however, your Heart must
be so set against all Sin, that your Choice must be, Rather to Dy than to Sin.
Tho’
Man cannot show you Mercy; your Life is forfeited, beyond the Reach of Mercy
from the Government; yet upon a True Repentance, you will find Mercy with GOD.
This Repentance is also His Gift. Oh! Keep looking up unto Him; Lord, Give me a
Repenting Heart! O my SAVIOUR, Thou givest Repentance and Remission of Sins!
Man,
Thy Immortal SOUL is presently to Return unto GOD. A SOUL doing so, can look
for nothing but His Fiery Indignation, and a dreadful Banishment from Him;
Except it be a SOUL with another Biass upon it, than what men have in their
Depraved Nature. A SOUL to which a CHRIST is Precious; to which a CHRIST is the
Prince of Life, the Living Spring of all that it Good: A SOUL groaning under
all its Evil Inclinations; as the most heavy Burdens; A SOUL desirous above all
things to Serve and please the Glorious GOD.
My
Friend, May thy SOUL now be found so disposed!
1718 "The Trials of Eight Persons Indicted for Piracy [etc.]" Bartholomew Green for John Edwards. Boston. Early American Imprint Series Microfilm #2003. Clifford K. Shipton, editor. American Antiquarian Society. Worcester, MA.
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