three florins, the correspondents of the French agent Bernard continually wrote that a determination was shown for a continuance of war, and that nothing less was contemplated than the retaking of Utrecht. The burghers and peasants,' they added, themselves demand to march under the Prince's orders those of North Holland undertaking to furnish 30,000 men if he requires them.' Prince John Maurice of Nassau, who still remained in command of the chief position, that of Muyden, remarks upon the revival of patriotism in his correspondence with the Prince of Orange, with the cheerful ardour of a soldier, which his great age had not quelled. In uniting its destiny to that of the last descendant of its liberators, the republic seemed to have cast aside all faintheartedness. It felt itself supported by the hopes inspired by William III., looking upon them as services rendered; and in times of great danger such hopes are often the salvation of nations. Still it was not enough for the United Provinces to find a saviour in the Prince of Orange. For the success of their own deliverance they could not dispense with the foreign aid which was fortunately assured to them. Spain, not content with giving them the assistance of her diplomacy, added the most efficient military aid. Beverningh's negotiations had been happily completed by those of the new envoy of the republic, Adrien Paats, councillor of Rotterdam. The Court of Madrid not only sent a first reinforcement of 1,800 cavalry, which it placed at the disposition of the States-General, but gave full powers to Count de Monterey to dispose of all the troops in the Netherlands in their favour. Twelve thousand men, under the command of Count de Marsin, were sent either to the Prince of Orange's army or to the towns in North Brabant and the fortresses of Zealand, in spite of the complaints and remonstrances of the English ministers. It was in vain that the latter appealed to Count de Monterey at Antwerp: they could neither intimidate him, nor obtain his connivance in the perfidious suggestions of which the envoys of the republic at Brussels hastened to inform the States-General. The Court of Spain now looked upon the defence of the United Provinces as inseparable from the preservation of the Netherlands. NEGOTIATIONS WITH THE COURT OF VIENNA, 421 When in conformity with her bold advice the States had repulsed Louis XIV.'s proposals of peace, Spain was encouraged to make a still more determined stand and showed herself favourable to offers of an offensive alliance, but another year elapsed before she brought matters to a conclusion. The negotiations were carried out with no less solicitude at the Court of Vienna, and thanks to the active intervention of Lisola, they were successful in spite of the treaty of neutrality signed by the Emperor Leopold I. with the King of France. After conferences prolonged at the Hague for several weeks, under the direction of the States-General's secretary Fagel, an agreement was made, by which the Emperor treating directly with the United Provinces was to furnish them, in return for certain subsidies, with a contingent of 24,000 men instead of 12,000 for which he had already agreed with the Elector of Brandenburg. He also undertook to call for a general armament in the empire, which was at once voted for by the Diet of Ratisbon. The French diplomatists flattered themselves that they could prevent the ratification of this agreement by manoeuvring in Vienna to get Lisola accused of having exceeded his instructions, but they only succeeded in having the treaty delayed. After long-contested counter-propositions it was put into execution, but only towards the end of the year 1672. Fortunately for the United Provinces, the negotiations previously concluded with the Elector of Brandenburg had already insured them the intervention necessary to their welfare. Not only had Frederick William agreed to furnish a body of 20,000 men, but he had obtained by the treaty of Berlin the assistance of a contingent of 12,000 soldiers of the Imperial troops, of which he persistently claimed an increase. The most urgent appeals were made to him to hasten his assistance: Your Electoral Highness alone can help us,' wrote the Prince of Orange to him, and for my part I can assure you that I will do my best to maintain our posts.' The last attempt of Count de la Vauguyon, Louis XIV.'s minister at Berlin, failed before the henceforth irrevocable determination of the Elector. On August 6,' writes a con temporary, a report was spread in Woerden which filled the despairing inhabitants with joy, namely that a large number of auxiliary troops were arriving from Germany, which only served to confirm the old saying, Quod Germanorum auxilia sunt lenta. While the Imperial troops assembled at Egra, on the extreme frontier of Bohemia, were setting out on their march under the command of the finest general in the empire, Count de Montecuculi, who had conquered the Turks at Saint Gothard, the Elector of Brandenburg took up the command of his army corps, which was encamped on the outskirts of his dominions. The allied contingents then manoeuvred to approach one another, as if, as Louvois scornfully observed, they were coming to be beaten on the shores of the Rhine. The United Provinces by a prompt and united effort might look for a reinforcement of 40,000 well-equipped and well-armed men, which should suffice to place the French army in its turn in jeopardy. The hopes inspired by their near approach, of which D'Amerongen, the States' envoy at Berlin, spoke with patriotic enthusiasm, were but insufficiently realised. In consequence of the secret understanding which the French Government had contrived with Prince Lobkowitz, the Emperor's Prime Minister, the two army corps merely marched and countermarched on the opposite side of the Rhine without daring to cross it. Neither did the Prince of Orange seem in a hurry to take the necessary measures to insure their prompt co-operation, in spite of the reiterated complaints of the Elector. Their inaction prevented the immediate deliverance of Holland, but their attempt at a diversion nevertheless sufficed to change the theatre of war. Whilst the French King's allies, the Bishop of Münster and the Elector of Cologne, whose States were threatened by the German troops, found themselves reduced to stand on the defensive, Louis XIV. was obliged to despatch Turenne to guard the Rhine, and would soon be forced to send an army corps into Lorraine under the command of Condé. The intervention of Germany forced upon him the necessity of dividing his forces, when their concentration was indispensable to enable him to complete FRENCH INVASION ARRESTED. 423 the subjection of the United Provinces. He was obliged to arrest his conquests until the day came when he had no resource left but to abandon them. The first foreign aid given to the republic had thus served to release it by turning the stream of the French invasion, and it was to the alliances brought about by the political foresight of the Grand Pensionary de Witt, rather than to the change of government just accomplished, that she was to owe her deliverance. CHAPTER XIV. REACTION IN FAVOUR OF THE ORANGE PARTY-ITS VICTIMS- The Prince of Orange considers his powers insufficient-His partisans wish him to have the right of appointing the town magistrates-Meeting between Fagel and De Groot-Popular seditions-The States of Holland apply in vain to the Stadtholder-William III. endeavours to inspire doubts of them-Prosecution of Montbas-His escape-He offers his services to the King of France-Persecution directed by the Prince of Orange against De Groot, who is forced to leave the country-John de Witt surrounded by his family-He refuses to leave the Hague-Accusations formed against him— Correspondence of Louvois and of Luxembourg-No charge made against John de Witt of complicity with the enemy-Calumnious reports against his morality and probity-His memoir in justification approved by the States -He appeals in vain to the Prince of Orange-Ingratitude of William III. -- His answer to John de Witt's letter-Cornelius de Witt is exposed to the same enmity as his brother-His domestic life-His correspondence with his wife, Maria van Berkel, during the last naval campaign-His services unrecognised-His arrest-He is accused of a plot against the Prince of Orange-Infamy of his accuser Tichelaer-Intervention of the deputies of Dordrecht in his favour-The Prince of Orange refuses to give an opinion -Cornelius de Witt transferred to the prison of the Court of JusticeFutile endeavours of John de Witt to obtain his brother's release-His correspondence with his sister-in-law-His visit to the Prince of Orange; he offers to send in his resignation as Grand Pensionary-His speech to the States of Holland-His appointment to the Grand Council-Ill-will of the Prince of Orange-Resignation of John de Witt-His letter to Ruyter-He is replaced by Fagel-Continuation of the trial of Cornelius de Witt-His imprisonment His correspondence with his wife-Ineffectual pleas in defence His judges and his trial-Pretext found for putting him to torture -Official report of the resolutions of the Court-Last interrogatoriesLast applications-Cornelius de Witt tortured-His heroic behaviour-Refuses to confess-His iniquitous condemnation-He refuses to accept itJohn de Witt summoned by his brother to the prison-Meeting between the two brothers-John de Witt is detained a prisoner-Plot of TichelaerPopular tumult-The councillor-deputies and the measures for defenceThe troops of cavalry commanded by Count Tilly-Arming of the burgher companies-First parleys of councillor-deputies with the rioters-Seditious behaviour of the burgher companies-They send delegates to the prison |