HISTORY OF BROOKLYN. 137

by many as an excuse for their non-compliance in the matter of paying the minister’s tax. Sheriff Tonneman complained to the Council of abuse received, while collecting the tax, from Lodewyck Jong, Jan Martyn, Nicholas the Frenchman, Abraham Jansen, the mulatto, and Gerrit the wheelwright. They were summoned before the Council, where the excuses they pleaded—of one that he was a Catholic, and the other that he did not understand Dutch—were pronounced “frivolous,” and they were each condemned to pay a fine of twelve guilders ($4.80).1 The principal malcontent, Jan Martyn, “of Harfleur ” (ante, p. 80), who attempted to hire the public bellman to go around and defame Councillor Tonneman, was obliged to beg pardon, on bended knees, of the Lord and of the court, and was fined twenty-five guilders ($10) and costs.2

The inflexible Governor finally brought matters to a focus with the refractory Breuckelen people, by issuing an order, on the 6th of July, 1658, forbidding the inhabitants of the three towns to remove their grain from their fields, until their tithes were taken or commuted—which commutations were ordered to be paid within three days. This order was complied with; for when the Governor ic put his foot down" in this manner, as was his wont, the people found it was useless to “kick against the pricks.”

Previous to this time (1660), the only ministers of the Reformed Church in Now Netherland were Megapolensis and Drisius, in the city of New Amsterdam, Schaats at Beverwyck, Polhemus at Midwout, and Welius at New Amstel. In the fall of 1658, however, a letter was sent to the Classis of Amsterdam of the Fatherland, by Messrs. Megapolensis and Drisius, giving an interesting account of the state of religion in the colony, and earnestly entreating that “good Dutch clergymen” might speedily be sent over.3 These letters awakened the attention of the Classis to the spiritual necessities of New Netherland, and earnest representations on the subject were addressed to the College of the XIX. And, although it was difficult to prevail upon any settled clergyman to leave his charge in Holland and brave the trials of a newly settled country, yet one Her-

1 N. Y. Col. MSS., viii. 563,789,804,818.

2 N. Y. Col. MSS., viii. 825.

3 Brodhead, i. 643.