Note 9 — Chapter V
Reading edition
For an account of the embassy in 1685, from Louis XIV. to the court of Siam, the reader may consult the work of the jesuit Tachard; Des Farges’ relation of the revolutions in Siam in 1688; Extracts from a voyage with the armament of M. du Quesne, in 1690; and also the Memoirs of Count Forbin, and the Universal History. The French interest was chiefly indebted for the favourable reception and lofty honours with which the monarch of Siam was pleased to honour his good friends and faithful allies, the Chevalier de Chaumont and suite, to the good offices of Constantine Phaulkon, prime minister of Siam, a native of Cephalonia, who had commenced his career in the service of the English company. Can we imagine that the events of those days are forgotten by the statesmen of Siam?