Barneveld connected with the East India Company, but opposed to the West India Company-Carleton comes from Venice inimical to Barneveld - Maurice openly the Chieftain of the Contra-Remon- strants-Tumults around the Churches- 'Orange or Spain" the Cry of Prince Maurice and his Party — They take possession of the The Commonwealth bent on Self-destruction - Evils of a Confederate System of Government - Rem Bischop's House sacked- Aerssens' unceasing Efforts against Barneveld - The Advocate's Interview with Maurice-The States of Utrecht raise the Troops - The Advocate at Utrecht - Barneveld urges mutual Toleration - Bar- neveld accused of being Partisan of Spain-Carleton takes bis Maurice revolutionizes the Provinces - Danckaerts' libellous Pam- phlet - Barneveld's Appeal to the Prince - Barneveld's Remon- strance to the States - The Stadholder at Amsterdam - The Treaty of Truce nearly expired - King of Spain and Archduke Albert — Scheme for recovering the Provinces Secret Plot to make Maurice ▲ Deputation from Utrecht to Maurice Maurice and the States' Deputies at Utrecht - Ogle refuses to act in Opposition to the States - The Stadholder disbands the Waartgelders-The Prince appoints forty Magistrates —The States Fruitless Interview between Barneveld and Maurice warned of his Danger, resolves to remain at the Hague-Arrest of Barneveld, of Grotius, and of Hoogerbeets- The States-General assume the Responsibility in a Billet"- The States of Holland protest — The Advocate's Letter to his Family - Audience of de Boississe- Mischief-making of Aerssens-The French Ambassadors intercede for Barneveld-The King of England opposes their Efforts Langerac's Treachery to the Advocate - Maurice con- tinues his Changes in the Magistracy throughout the Country — Rancour between the Politico-Religious Parties - Spanish Intrigues Inconsistency of James- Brewster and Robinson's Congregation at Leyden - They decide to leave for America - Robinson's Fare- Barneveld's Imprisonment - Ledenberg's Examination and Death Remonstrance of de Boississe- Aerssens admitted to the Order of Knights-Trial of the Advocate - Barneveld's Defence - The States proclaim a Public Fast - Du Maurier's Speech before the Barneveld's Execution - The Advocate's Conduct on the Scaffold - The Sentence printed and sent to the Provinces - The Proceed- Grotius urged to ask Forgiveness - Grotius shows great Weakness Hoogerbeets and Grotius imprisoned for Life - Grotius confined at Loevestein- Grotius' early Attainments - Grotius' Deportment in Prison - Escape of Grotius - Deventer's Rage at Grotius' Escape. 394 THE LIFE AND DEATH OF JOHN OF BARNEVELD. CHAPTER XI. The Advocate sounds the Alarm in Germany - His Instructions to Langerac and his Forethought-The Prince-Palatine and his Forces take Aachen, Mülheim, and other Towns - Supineness of the Protestants - Increased Activity of Austria and the League — Barneveld strives to obtain Help from England-Neuburg departs for Germany - Barneveld the Prime Minister of Protestantism-Ernest Mansfield takes service under Charles Emmanuel-Count John of Nassau goes to Savoy - Slippery Conduct of King James in regard to the New Treaty proposed-Barneveld's Influence greater in France than in England-Sequestration feared - The Elector of Brandenburg cited to appear before the Emperor at Prague-Murder of John van Wely-Uytenbogaert incurs Maurice's Displeasure-Marriage of the King of France with Anne of Austria-Conference between King James and Caron concerning Piracy, Cloth Trade and Treaty of XantenBarneveld's Survey of the Condition of Europe-His Efforts to avert the impending general War. I HAVE thus purposely sketched the leading features of a couple of momentous, although not eventful, years—so far as the foreign policy of the Republic is concerned-in order that the reader may better understand the bearings and the value of the Advocate's actions and writings at that period. This work aims at being a political study. I would attempt to exemplify the influence of individual humours and passions-some of them among the highest and others certainly the basest that agitate humanity-upon the march of great events, upon general historical results at certain epochs, and upon the destiny of eminent personages. It may also be not uninteresting to venture a glance into the internal structure and workings of a republican and federal system VOL. II. B of government, then for the first time reproduced almost spontaneously upon an extended scale. Perhaps the revelation of some of its defects, in spite of the faculty and vitality struggling against them, may not be without value for our own country and epoch. The system of Switzerland was too limited and homely, that of Venice too purely oligarchical, to have much moral for us now, or to render a study of their pathological phenomena especially instructive. The lessons taught us by the history of the Netherland confederacy may have more permanent meaning. Moreover, the character of a very considerable statesman at an all-important epoch, and in a position of vast responsibility, is always an historical possession of value to mankind. That of him who furnishes the chief theme for these pages has been either overlooked and neglected or perhaps misunderstood by posterity. History has not too many really important and emblematic men on its records to dispense with the memory of Barneveld, and the writer therefore makes no apology for dilating somewhat fully upon his lifework by means of much of his entirely unpublished and long forgotten utterances. The Advocate had ceaselessly been sounding the alarm in Germany. For the Protestant Union, fascinated, as it were, by the threatening look of the Catholic League, seemed relapsing into a drowse. "I believe," he said to one of his agents in that country,1 "that the Evangelical electors and princes and the other estates are not alive to the danger. I am sure that it is not apprehended in Great Britain. France is threatened with troubles. These are the means to subjugate the religion, the laws and liberties of Germany. Without an army the troops now on foot in Italy cannot be kept out of Germany. Yet we do not hear that the Evangelicals are making 1 Barneveld to Brederode, 2 March 1614. (Hague Arch. MS.) |