Life and Death of John of Barne

echt to Maurice-The F

uties at Utrecht-Og

es-The Stadholder disb

orty Magistrates-The

aartg

al capital of the Commonwealth. The anniversary of the Nieuwpoort victory, July 2, had come and gone, and the Stadholder was known

fierce heats of theological and political pa

with the express but secret purpose of conferring with Maurice. They were eight in number, three of whom,

d determined to frustrate it, contrived a meeting between the Utrecht commi

ch a catastrophe many cities had enlisted Waartgelders. By this means they had held such mutineers to their duty, as had been seen at Leyden, Haarlem, and other places. The States of Utrecht had secured themselves in the same way. But the mischiefmakers and the ill-disposed had been seeking everywhere to counteract these wholesome measures and to bring about a general disbanding of these troops. This it was necessary to resist with spir

o their assistance, exposed as they were to a sudden and overwhelming attack from many quarters. The States-General had not only written but sent commissioners to Utrecht insisting on the

garrison from their capital and to send the old companies of native militia in their place, to

timated that the native militia on which they were proposing to rely might have been debauched, and he held out hopes

made a rough draft of a report of what had occurred between them and Grotius and his colleagues which it was resolved to lay secretl

bversion by civil tumults. If this object could be obtained by other means, if the Stadholder were willing to remove garrisons of foreign mercenaries on whom

nicated to him this resolution. He made a cold and unsatisfactory reply, although it seems to have been unde

communicating their message to Maurice. Soon afterwards the States-Genera

ppointed another with G

ensionary Hoogerbeets with two

d certainly not aware, while passing to and fro on such half diplomatic missions between two sovereign assemblies, that he was committing high-treason. He might wel

ed Grotius and his committee

ing solemn and secret council, another and

putation from the States-G

l drama were converging to a catastrop

of beeches and limetrees, with busy canals fringed with poplars, lined with solid quays, and crossed by innumerable bridges; with the stately brick tower of St. Martin's rising to a daring height above one of the most magnificent Gothic cathedrals in the Netherlands; this seat of the Anglo-Saxon Willebrord, who

f they were but one province, to make no war nor peace save by unanimous consent, while on lesser matters a majority should rule; to admit both Catholics and Protestants to the Union pr

m, and distinguished by such breadth of view for the times both in religion and po

akeries of pancakes and waffles; theatrical exhibitions, raree-shows, jugglers, and mountebanks at every corner-all these phenomena which had been at every kermis for centuries, and were to repeat themselves for centuries afterwards, now enlivened the atmosphere of the grey, episcopal city. Pasted against the walls of public edifices were the most recent placards and counter-placards of the States-General and the States of Utrecht on the great subject of religious schisms and popular tumults. In the shop-windows and on the bookstalls of Contra-Remonstrant tradesmen, now becoming more and more defiant as the last allies of Holland, the States of Utrecht, were gradually losing courage, were seen the freshest ballads and caricatures against the Advocate. Here an engraving represented him seated at table with Grotius, Hoogerbeets, and others, discussing the National Synod, while a flap of the picture being lifted put the head of the Duke of Alva on the legs of Barneveld, his companions being transformed in similar manner into Spanish priests and cardinals assembled at the terrible Council of Blood-with rows of Protestant martyrs

phere of Contra-Remonstrantism which was steadily enwrapping the whole country. A still graver question was whether such resistance as they could offer to the renowned Stadholder, whose name was magic to every soldier's heart not only in his own land but throughout Christendom, would not be like parrying a lance's thrust with a bulrush. In truth the senior ca

ght, entered the stern Stadholder with his fellow commissioners; the feebl

to the magistrates, with a grim smile on his face as who

orces paid by Holland, had been warned as to where his obedience was due. It had likewise been intimated that the guard should be doubled at the Amersfoor

efore, as we have seen, in a private autograp

s his lawful superiors and masters, and he warned Ledenberg and his companions as to the perilous nature of the cour

embly likewise thought it likely that he would smite the gates open by force. Grotius, when reproved afterwards for such strong

d determined to disband the Waartgelders which had been constitutionally enlisted according to the

him and the Holland deputies. The Stadholder calmly demanded the disbandment and the S

e points into the Divine worship. People have tried to turn me out of the stadholdership and to drive me from the country. But I have taken my meas

or person. All were ready to recognize his rank and services by every means in their power. But it was desir

nod. "As for the Waartgelders," he continued, "they

versation in this vein the

e fault of the Ad

ld still deem ourselves bound to maintain the laws. People seem to

e, "it is the Advocate who wishes

iant hero, "to attack any of the cities of Utrecht or Holland with the hard hand, it is settled to station 8000 or 10,000 soldiers in convenient places. Then we shall say to the Prince, if you don't leave us alone, we shall make an arrangement with t

ted through the ai

duke and drive Maurice into exile? Had not Esquire van Ostrum solemnly declared it at a tavern table? And althoug

e regular garrison of the place, had accordingly been assembled without beat of drum, before half past three in the morning, and were now drawn up on the market-place or Neu. At break of day the Prince himself appeared on horseback surrounded by his staff on the Neu or Neude, a large, long, irregular square into w

Neu or near it. The Prince rode calmly towards them and ordered them to lay down their arms. They obeyed without a murmur. He then sent through the city to summon all the other companies of Waa

his early breakfast. There was an end to those mercenaries thenceforth and for ever. The faint

noeuvres had so admirably carried out his measure that not a shot was fired, not a blow given, not a single burgher disturbed in his peaceful slumbers. When the population had taken off their night

es' rights, provincial laws, Waartgelders and all-the martial Stadholder, with the orange plume in his hat and the sword of Nieuwpoort on his thigh, strod

precipitate departure. As they drove out of town in the twilight, they met the deputies of the six opposition cities of Holland

. The forty members were required to supply forty other names, and the Prince added twenty more. From the hundred candidates thus furnished the Prince appointed forty magistrates such as suited himself. It is needless to say that but few of the old bench remained, and that those few we

ted throughout the two insubordin

-in-law of the dangers of such ambition. But so long as an individual, sword in hand, could exercise such unlimited sway over the whole municipal, and provincial organization of the Commonwealth,

almost superfluous edict, as they had almost ceased to exist, and there were none to resist the measure. Gr

and sent back the notification unopened, deeming it an unwarrantable invasion of their rights that an assembly resisted by a large majority of their body shoul

s of the Synod should not be considered binding until after having been ratified by the separate states. In the opinion of Bar