Life and Death of John of Barne

etween Barneveld and

resolves to remain a

and of Hoogerbeets-Th

a "Billet"-The State

er to his Family-Au

rssens-The French Amb

f England opposes th

ocate-Maurice contin

the Country-Vote of

ll

law and to procure moderation and mutual toleration in religion, was disposed to acquiesce in the inevitable.

nod, with the counter-declaration of Dordtrecht and the other five cities. Yesterday was begun the debate

cided upon, and the process of changing the municipal magistracies everywhere in the interest of Contra-Remonstrants begun, he continued to u

rice with his own lips described the Advocate to the widow of William the Silent. Incapable of an unpatriotic thought, animated by sincere desire to avert evil and procure moderate action, Barneveld saw no reason whatever why, despite all that had been said and done, he should not once more hold council with the Prince. He had a conversation accordingly with Count Lewis, who had always honoured the Advocate while differing with him on the religious question. The Stadholder of Friesland, one of the foremost men of his day

, in demeanour. His style of writing to one of lower social rank th

of what you requested of us this forenoon. We find however that his Excellency is not to be moved to entertain any other measure than the National Synod which he has

on our good offices. We could not answer sooner as the French ambassadors had audience of us this forenoon and w

n with him in regard to an accommodation of the religious difficulties and to the cashiering of the Waartgelders. He answered that he could accept

ments of the Stadholder. The two great men on whom the fabric

osing magisterial figure; the florid, plethoric Prince in brown doublet, big russet boots, narrow ruff, and shabby felt hat with its string of diamonds, with hand clutched on

f his constitutional rights, and that on his part his lifelong devotion to the House of Nassau had suffered no change. He repeated his usual incontrovertible arguments against the Synod, as illegal and directly tend

wn disreputation. He expressed his displeasure at the particular oath exacted from the Waartgelders. It diminished his lawful authority and the respect due to him, and might be used per indirectum to the oppression

blies, during so many years. His eloquence fell powerless upon the iron taciturnity of the Stadholder. Mauri

s William had anticipated, and the Prince and t

ountry. They are resolved to go through with the National Synod, the government of Utrecht after the change made in it having consented with the rest. I hope that his Majesty, according to your statement, will send some

bered that they were not written for the public at all. They were never known to the public, hardly heard of either by the Advocate's enemies or friends, save the one to whom they were addressed and the monarch to whom that friend was accredited. They we

he country a more competent expounder of it; and defective and even absurd as such a system was, it had carried the Provinces successfully through a g

nderstanding that great haste was made to send his Excellency and some deputies from the other provinces to Utrecht, while the members of the Utrecht assembly were gone to report these difficulties to their constituents and get fresh instructions from them, wishing that the return of t

ifficulty in this, the commissioners were instructed to declare to him that they were ordered to warn the colonels and captains standing in the payment of Holland, by letter and word of mouth, that they were bound by oath to obey the States of Holland as their paymasters and likewise to carry out the orders of

army. Still this was the logical and inevitable result of State rights pushed to the extreme and indeed had been the indisputable theory and practice in the Netherlands ever since their revolt from Spain. To pretend that the proceedings and the oath were n

the subjection of the magistracy by the priesthood or the mob, so he now defended it against the power of the sword. There was no justification whatever for a claim on the part of Maurice to exact obedience from all the armies of the Republic, especially in time of peac

d be held to their oaths was accounted a crime. He had invented a new oath-it was said-and sought to diminish t

increased by this affliction. I place my trust in God the Lord and in my upright and conscientious determination

en. Councillor Berkhout, accompanied by a friend, called to see him, and after a brief conversation gave

gravely, "Yes, there

urteously and said, "I thank y

sed to do as both he and Maurice had done in former times in order to escape the stratagems of Leicester, to take refuge in some strong city devoted to his interests rather than remain at the Hague. But he had declined the counsel. "I will await the issue of this business," he

m to lay before the States of Holland. The preacher did not find his friend busily occupied at his desk, as usual, with writing and other work. The Advocate had pushed his

tions on the innumerable instances, in all countries and ages, of patrio

ent of evil within him which it was impossible for him

this court. Passing by these lodgings on his way to the Assembly, he was accosted by a chamberlain of the Prince and informed that his Highness desired to speak with him. He followed him towards the room where such interviews were usually held, but in the antechamber was met by Lieutenant Nythof, of the Prince's bodyguard. This officer told him that he had been ordered to arrest him in the name of the States-General. The

apartments, where he was guarded by two halberdmen. In the evening he was removed to another chamber where the window shutters were barred, and where he remained three days and nights. He was much cast down and silent. Pensionary Hoogerbeets was made prisoner in precisely the same manner. Thus the three statesmen-culprits as they were considered by the

ing a visit to Sir Dudley Carleton, who had arrived very late the night before from Englan

the well disposed as the only means left for the security of the state. "The Ar

a superfluous proceeding now that the Synod h

William. The crowd of citizens following at a little distance, excited by the news with which the city was n

es of these events. Maurice replied that he had disbanded the Waartgelders, but it had now become necessar

ief and indignation. His eldest son William, commonly called the Seignior van Groeneveld, accompanied by his two brothers-in-l

onsideration of his advanced age, might on givin

is the work of the States-General," he said, "no ha

opposition which the Advocate

errupted him-"Any man who says a word against the Cloister Church,"

that branch, forced their way into the Stadholder's apartments and penetrated to the door of the room where the Advocate was imprisoned. According to Carleton they were filled with wine as well as rage, and made a great distu

without leave, being, as he was, a member of the Chamber of Nobles and of the council of state, was accounted a great offence. Uytenbogaert also

ounced. The majority sat like men distraught. At last Matenesse said, "You have taken fr

d authorized by secret resolution the day before (28th August). On the 29th accordingly, the following "Billet," as it was ent

nd of each province in particular, not without apparent danger to the state of the country, and that thereby not only the city of Utrecht, but various other cities of the United Provinces would have fallen into a blood bath; and whereas the chief ringleaders in these things are considered to be John van Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, Rombout Hoogerbeets, and Hugo Grotius, whereof hereafte

ng themselves extraordinarily amazed at such proceedings, without their knowledge, with usurpation

Assembly to justify the proceeding. On their departure there arose a great debate, the six cities of course taking part with Maurice and the general government. It was finally re

was to th

d not to have acted without good cause. Touching the laws and jurisdiction of Holland he would not hi

s it was for the time being. Rapid changes were soon to be expected in that

oon all Europe were ringing with the news of his downfall, imprisonment, and disgrace. The news was a th

f the States-General, with its dark allusions to horrible discoveries and promised revelations which were never made, but which reduced themselves at last to the gibberish of a pot-house bully, the ingenious libels, the powerfully concocted and poisonous calumnies, caricatures, and lampoons, had done their work. People stared at each other in the streets with open mouths as they heard how the Advocate had fo

f Spain. It was a piteous spectacle; not for the venerable statesman sitting alone there in his prison, but for the Republic in its lunacy, for human nature in its meanness and shame. He whom Count Lewis, alt

t to worship him as a god, in hope that he would lift them up still higher, now desert

risonment the Advocate wrot

e Almighty and to comfort each other. I know before the Lord God of having given no single lawful reason for the misfortunes which have come upon me, and I will with patience await fr

children-in-law, and grandchildren,

rably treated and accommodated, for

f arrest, last of

father, father-in-la

OF BAR

argin wa

ested and have at last obta

so short a time, but through harmony and union of all the provinces, through the valour of his Excellency, and through your own wise counsels, both sustained by our great king, whose aid is continued by his son."-"The King my master," he continued, "knows not the cause of your disturbances. You have not communicated them to him, but their most apparent cause is a difference of opinion, born in the schools, thence brought before the public, upon a point of theology. That point h

t rapture you are preparing for your neighbours by your quarrels! How they will scorn you! How they will laugh! What a hope do you give them of revenging them

easonable. It is superfluous to say that it was in unison with the opinions of Barneveld, for Barneveld had probably furnished the text of the oration. Even as he had a few years before supplied the letters which King James had signed and subsequently had struggled so desperately to disavow, so now the Advocate's imperious intellect had swayed the docile and amiable minds of the royal envoys into complete sympathy with his policy. He usually dictated their general instructions. B

e of indignation was perceptible on the calm surface of affairs, although in the States-Gene

andled by the prudent, skil

t on this occasion the central government spoke of giving orders to the Prince of Orange, over whom they would seem to have had no legitimate authority, while on the other hand he had expre

se, to aid the resident envoy, du Maurier, in his efforts to bring about a reconciliation of parties and a termination of the religious feud. Their exertions were sincere and unceasing. They were as steadily countermined by Fran

e reader. Van der Myle by the production of the secret letters of the Queen-Dowager and her counsellors had proved beyond dispute that it was at the express wish of the French government that the Ambassador had retired, and that indeed they had distinctly refused to receive him, should he ret

and the intention with which he thus raked up the old quarrel with France after the death of

tant churches of France should participate in the Synod, and the French king had been much assailed by the Catholic powers for listening to those suggestions. The Papal nuncius, the Spanish ambassador, the envoy of the Archduke, had made a great disturbance at court concerning the mission of Boississe.

d to be so great an affront to the King that, but for overpowering reasons, diplomatic intercourse would have at once been suspended. "Now instead of friendship there is great anger here," said Langerac. The king forbade under vigorous penalties the departure of any French theologians to take part in the Synod, although the royal consent had nearly been given. The

declared the crown in its temporal as well as spiritual essence to be dependent on the Pope, and that the Spanish

ained it over both Stadholder and Advocate. Who was to profit by the estrangement between the Republic and its powerful ally at a moment too when tha

l report cordial and beneficent relations between the two countries, had always comprehended, even as a great cardinal-minister was e

was passing on that great stage where he had so long been the ch

pinion, so unjustly. To render himself indispensable, he had begun by making himself provisionally formida

been seized for fastening an insult upon her. The Twelve Years' Truce with Spain was running to its close, th

of small account. The phantom of the Spanish bride had become more real to his excited vision than ever, so that

had himself been asked to a festival the year before when Count Gondemar was left out. It was hinted to him that the King had good reasons for what he did, as the marriage with the daughter of Spain was now in train, and it was desirable that the Spanish ambassador should be able to observe the Prince's disposition and make a more correct report of it to his government. It was in vain. M. de la Boderie refused to be comforted, and asserted that one had no right to leave the French ambassador uninvited to any "festival or triumph" at court.

es. In the autumn, Secretary de Puysieux by command of the King ordered every Spaniard to leave the French court. All the "Spanish ladies and gentlemen, great and small," who

thing but Spanish, left her isolated at the court, but she was a little consoled by the promise th

risoners, but it was a thankless task. Now that the great man and his chief pupils and adherents were out o

at least to save themselves from being involved in it. Not a man of them all but fell away from him like water. Even the great soldier forgot whose respectful but powerful hand it was which, at the most tragical moment, had lifted him from the high school at Leyden into the post of greatest power and responsibility, and had guided his first faltering footsteps by the light of his genius and experience. Francis

f vassalage to Spain. Persons had been feeling the public pulse as to the possibility of securing permanent peace by paying tribute to Spain, and this secret plan of Barneveld had so alienated him from the Prince as to cause him to attempt

but certainly, if ever, man had made himself master of a state, that man was Maurice. He continued however to place

no satisfaction to be had for the offensive manner in which he had filled the country with his ancient grievances and his nearly forgotten charges against the Queen-Dowager and those who had assist

Chatillon, who had for a long time commanded the French regiments in the Netherlands, for

, if Lewis would declare war

sisse, "nor has your love for France

ry like Leicester. He is accused of having wished to trouble the country in order to bring it back under the yoke of

mbassadors, "will require t

the Republic they claimed the acceptance of their good offices. They insisted upon a regular trial of the prisoners according to the laws of the land, that is to say, by the high court of Holland, which alone had jurisdiction in the premises. If they had been guilty of high-treason, they should be duly arraigned. In the name of the sign

urice to Chatillon, "proc

ght, and their enemies ran riot in slandering th

ning to open their mouths with incredible freedom. While waiting for t

ain by aiding in the ruin of one whom he knew and Spain knew to be her determined foe, did all he could through his ambassador to frustrate their efforts and br

hem, and they imagine that after having played runaway horses his Majesty will be only too happy to receive them

m 12,000 francs in cash on the ground that Langerac's salary was larger

e on the other hand the Queen-Mother, having through Epernon's assistance made her escape from Blois, where she had been kept in durance since the death of

nd Epernon, as well as James I. and his courtiers-should be thus

an invasion of their sovereignty." Few would have anything to say to them. "No one listens to us, no one replies to us," sa

only, among all the statesmen of Europe on his great schemes for regenerating Christendom and averting that general

scoffed at the slender sympathy van der Myle was finding in the bleak political atmosphere. He had done his best to find out what he had been negotiating with the members of the council and was glad to say that it was so inconsiderable as to be not worth reporting. He had not spoken with or seen the King. Jeannin, his own and his father-i

from the Reformed churches of France to go to the Synod, now opened (13th November) at Dordtrecht, and t

h clear and significant words that this was impossible, on account of his

ond point he acted w

ince to send them all letters that he had ever received from Barneveld.

ace should find anything in them showing that the said Advocate had any confidence in me, I most humbly beg your princely Grace to believe that I never entertained any affection for, him, except only in respect to and so fa

nd pupil of the great statesman remember his duty to the illustrious Prince and their High

as the foremost and oldest counsellor of the state, as the one who so confidentially instructed me on my departure for France, and who had obtained for himself so great authority that

the States and of your princely Grace and for the welfare and tranquillity of the land, I should have bee

thority of the States-General and States-Provincial. Not only had Langerac no reason to suspect that Barneveld was not what he ought to be, but he absolutely knew the contrary from that most confidential correspondence with him whic

to be made of what I wrote to him concerning the sovereignty of the Provinces,

it necessary to give him notice of such idle and unfounded matters, as being likely to give the Prince annoyance and displeasure. He had however always kept within himself the resolution duly to notify him in

y upon Maurice not as a popular calumny flying about Paris with no man to father it, but he had given it to Barneveld on the authority of a privy councillor of France and of the King himself. "His Majesty knows it to be authentic," he had said in his letter. That letter was a pompous one, full of mystery

not implicated in the plot and had instructed the Ambassador to communicate the story to Maurice. This advice had not been taken, but he had kept the perilou

ch to form something like a bill of indictment. They had demanded all his private and confidential correspondence with Caron and Langerae. The ambassador in Paris h

oops, and the supposed projects of Maurice concerning the sovereignty. Langerac was obliged to admit in his replies that nothing had been written except th

nal notes to the list of questions addressed by him, when about leaving for Pari

by enclosing the Barneveld correspondence since the beginning of the year 1614, protesting that not a single letter had been kept back or destroyed. "Once more I recommend myself to mercy, if not to favour," he added, "as the most faithful, most obedient, most zealous servant of their High Migh

ld hardly find superlatives enough to bestow upon t

berdmen up the great staircase of the town-hall, a jingle of spurs in the assembly-room, and the whole board of magistrates were summoned into the presence of the Stadholder. They were then informed that the world had no further need of their services, and were allowed to bow themselves out of the presence. A new list was then announced, prepared beforehand by Maurice on the suggestio

duty to uphold. You will see what deep displeasure will seize the burghers, and how much disturbance and tumult will follow. If any faults have been committed by any

s asking why they were deposed, he briefly replied, "The quiet of the land requires it. It is necessary to have unanimous resolutions in the States-General at the Hague. This

of Maurice enabled him to effect this violent series of revolutions with such masterly simplicity. It is questionable whether the Stadholder's commission technically empowered him thus to trample on municipal law; it is certain that, if it did

by the Prince's adherents to supply the place of those evicted, it often happened that men not quahified by property, re

men, those new functionaries, for aught he did know. And so on through Medemblik and Alkmaar, Brielle, Delft, Monnikendam, and many other cities progressed the Prince, sowing new municipalities broadcast as he passed along. At the Hague on his return a vote of t

han to promote the interests and tranquillity of the country, without admixture of anything personal and without prejudice to the general commonwealth o

grasp through the clearest fluid in existence. At any rate it would have been difficult to convince the host of deposed magistrates hurled from offi

the few cities where some o

s," having sent on his body-guard to the town strengthened by other troops. He was received by the magistrate

ed them all, and appointed new ones in their stead; some of the old members

of the famous "Oldenbarneveld's teeth" at auction in the public square, and chased many a poor cock and hen, with their feathers completely plucked from their bodies, about the street, crying "Arme haenen, arme haenen"-Arminians

a general abstention from "perverseness and petulance," went his way to Haarlem, where he dismissed

-quarters of all most opposed to the Advocate, most devoted to the Stadholder. But although the majority of the city government was an overwhelming one, th

ording to his usual style of proceeding and dismissed

eatest historians of the Netherlands or of any country, then a man of thirty-seven-shocked at the humiliating

ed with one

y, recalling to the memory of those who heard him that he had been thirty-six years long a member of the government and always a warm friend of the House of Nassau, and respectfully submitting that the small minority in the muni

ngs, high ruff around his thin, pointed face, and decent skull-cap covering his bald old head, quavering forth to unsymp

very long. Maurice's

so this time. Necessity and the

nted a new board, who were duly sworn to fidelity to the States-Gene

eorganized, passed a solemn vote of thanks to him for all that he had done. The six cities of the minority had now become the majority, and there was unanimity at the Hague. The Seven Provinces, St

ITOR'S B

friends and the w

cal party spiri

city for yielding

in its mean

ccurred to him t

name of man a

fishers in t

ion of the magistra

alian

the civil authorit

passion a

nergetic, uncom

are wicke