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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6833f05 --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,3 @@ +* text=auto +*.txt text +*.md text diff --git a/4880.txt b/4880.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6b52c38 --- /dev/null +++ b/4880.txt @@ -0,0 +1,2455 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook History of The United Netherlands, 1607(b) +#80 in our series by John Lothrop Motley + +Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the +copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing +this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook. + +This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project +Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the +header without written permission. + +Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the +eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is +important information about your specific rights and restrictions in +how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a +donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved. + + +**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts** + +**EBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971** + +*****These EBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers***** + + +Title: History of the United Netherlands, 1607(b) + +Author: John Lothrop Motley + +Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4880] +[Yes, we are more than one year ahead of schedule] +[This file was first posted on April 15, 2002] + +Edition: 10 + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + + + + + +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1607(b) *** + + + +This eBook was produced by David Widger + +[NOTE: There is a short list of bookmarks, or pointers, at the end of the +file for those who may wish to sample the author's ideas before making an +entire meal of them. D.W.] + + + + + +HISTORY OF THE UNITED NETHERLANDS +From the Death of William the Silent to the Twelve Year's Truce--1609 + +By John Lothrop Motley + + + +MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg Edition, Vol. 80 + +History of the United Netherlands, 1607 + + + +CHAPTER XLIX. + + Peace deliberations in Spain--Unpopularity of the project-- + Disaffection of the courtiers--Complaints against Spinola-- + Conference of the Catholic party--Position of Henry IV. towards the + republic--State of France Further peace negotiations--Desire of King + James of England for the restoration of the States to Spain--Arrival + of the French commissioners President Jeannin before the States- + General--Dangers of a truce with Spain--Dutch legation to England-- + Arrival of Lewis Verreyken at the Hague with Philip's ratification-- + Rejection of the Spanish treaty--Withdrawal of the Dutch fleet from + the Peninsula--The peace project denounced by the party of Prince + Maurice--Opposition of Maurice to the plans of Barneveld--Amended + ratification presented to the States-General--Discussion of the + conditions--Determination to conclude a peace--Indian trade-- + Exploits of Admiral Matelieff in the Malay peninsula--He lays siege + to Malacca--Victory over the Spanish fleet--Endeavour to open a + trade with China--Return of Matelieff to Holland. + +The Marquis Spinola had informed the Spanish Government that if 300,000 +dollars a month could be furnished, the war might be continued, but that +otherwise it would be better to treat upon the basis of 'uti possidetis,' +and according to the terms proposed by the States-General. He had +further intimated his opinion that, instead of waiting for the king's +consent, it more comported with the king's dignity for the archdukes to +enter into negotiations, to make a preliminary and brief armistice with +the enemy, and then to solicit the royal approval of what had been done. + +In reply, the king--that is to say the man who thought, wrote, and signed +in behalf of the king--had plaintively observed that among evils the +vulgar rule was to submit to the least. Although, therefore, to grant to +the Netherland rebels not only peace and liberty, but to concede to them +whatever they had obtained by violence and the most abominable outrages, +was the worst possible example to all princes; yet as the enormous sum +necessary for carrying on the war was not to be had, even by attempting +to scrape it together from every corner of the earth, he agreed with the +opinion of the archdukes that it was better to put an end to this eternal +and exhausting war by peace or truce, even under severe conditions. That +the business had thus far proceeded without consulting him, was publicly +known, and he expressed approval of the present movements towards a peace +or a long truce, assuring Spinola that such a result would be as grateful +to him as if the war had been brought to a successful issue. + +When the Marquis sent formal notice of the armistice to Spain there were +many complaints at court. Men said that the measure was beneath the +king's dignity, and contrary to his interests. It was a cessation of +arms under iniquitous conditions, accorded to a people formerly subject +and now rebellious. Such a truce was more fatal than any conflict, than +any amount of slaughter. During this long and dreadful war, the king had +suffered no disaster so terrible as this, and the courtiers now declared +openly that the archduke was the cause of the royal and national +humiliation. Having no children, nor hope of any, he desired only to +live in tranquillity and selfish indulgence, like the indolent priest +that he was, not caring what detriment or dishonour might accrue to the +crown after his life was over. + +Thus murmured the parasites and the plunderers within the dominions of +the do-nothing Philip, denouncing the first serious effort to put an end +to a war which the laws of nature had proved to be hopeless on the part +of Spain. + +Spinola too, who had spent millions of his own money, who had plunged +himself into debt and discredit, while attempting to sustain the +financial reputation of the king, who had by his brilliant services in +the field revived the ancient glory of the Spanish arms, and who now saw +himself exposed with empty coffers to a vast mutiny, which was likely to +make his future movements as paralytic as those of his immediate +predecessors--Spinola, already hated because he was an Italian, because +he was of a mercantile family, and because he had been successful, was +now as much the object of contumely with the courtiers as with the +archduke himself. + +The splendid victory of Heemskerk had struck the government with dismay +and diffused a panic along the coast. The mercantile fleets, destined +for either India, dared not venture forth so long as the terrible Dutch +cruisers, which had just annihilated a splendid Spanish fleet, commanded +by a veteran of Lepanto, and under the very guns of Gibraltar, were +supposed to be hovering off the Peninsula. Very naturally, therefore, +there was discontent in Spain that the cessation of hostilities had not +originally been arranged for sea as well as land, and men said openly at +court that Spinola ought to have his head cut off for agreeing to such an +armistice. Quite as reasonably, however, it was now felt to be necessary +to effect as soon as possible the recal of this very inconvenient Dutch +fleet from the coast of Spain. + +The complaints were so incessant against Spinola that it was determined +to send Don Diego d'Ybarra to Brussels, charged with a general +superintendence of the royal interests in the present confused condition +of affairs. He was especially instructed to convey to Spinola the most +vehement reproaches in regard to the terms of the armistice, and to +insist upon the cessation of naval hostilities, and the withdrawal of the +cruisers. + +Spinola, on his part, was exceedingly irritated that the arrangements +which he had so carefully made with the archduke at Brussels should +be so contumaciously assailed, and even disavowed, at Madrid. He was +especially irritated that Ybarra should now be sent as his censor and +overseer, and that Fuentes should have received orders to levy seven +thousand troops in the Milanese for Flanders, the arrival of which +reinforcements would excite suspicion, and probably break off +negotiations. + +He accordingly sent his private secretary Biraga, posthaste to Spain with +two letters. In number one he implored his Majesty that Ybarra might not +be sent to Brussels. If this request were granted, number two was to be +burned. Otherwise, number two was to be delivered, and it contained a +request to be relieved from all further employment in the king's service. +The marquis was already feeling the same effects of success as had been +experienced by Alexander Farnese, Don John of Austria, and other +strenuous maintainers of the royal authority in Flanders. He was railed +against, suspected, spied upon, put under guardianship, according to the +good old traditions of the Spanish court. Public disgrace or secret +poison might well be expected by him, as the natural guerdons of his +eminent deeds. + +Biraga also took with him the draught of the form in which the king's +consent to the armistice and pending negotiations was desired, and he was +particularly directed to urge that not one letter or comma should be +altered, in order that no pretext might be afforded to the suspicious +Netherlanders for a rupture. + +In private letters to his own superintendent Strata, to Don John of +Idiaquez, to the Duke of Lerma, and to Stephen Ybarra, Spinola enlarged +upon the indignity about to be offered him, remonstrated vehemently +against the wrong and stupidity of the proposed policy, and expressed his +reliance upon the efforts of these friends of his to prevent its +consummation. He intimated to Idiaquez that a new deliberation would be +necessary to effect the withdrawal of the Dutch fleet--a condition not +inserted in the original armistice--but that within the three months +allowed for the royal ratification there would be time enough to procure +the consent of the States to that measure. If the king really desired to +continue the war, he had but to alter a single comma in the draught, and, +out of that comma, the stadholder's party would be certain to manufacture +for him as long a war as he could possibly wish. + +In a subsequent letter to the king, Spinola observed that he was well +aware of the indignation created in Spain by the cessation of land +hostilities without the recal of the fleet, but that nevertheless John +Neyen had confidentially represented to the archdukes the royal assent +as almost certain. As to the mission of Ybarra, the marquis reminded +his master that the responsibility and general superintendence of the +negotiations had been almost forced upon him. Certainly he had not +solicited them. If another agent were now interposed, it was an +advertisement to the world that the business had been badly managed. +If the king wished a rupture, he had but to lift his finger or his pen; +but to appoint another commissioner was an unfit reward for his faithful +service. He was in the king's hands. If his reputation were now to be +destroyed, it was all over with him and his affairs. The man, whom +mortals had once believed incapable, would be esteemed incapable until +the end of his days. + +It was too late to prevent the mission of Ybarra, who, immediately after +his arrival in Brussels, began to urge in the king's name that the words +in which the provinces had been declared free by the archdukes might be +expunged. What could be more childish than such diplomacy? What greater +proof could be given of the incapacity of the Spanish court to learn the +lesson which forty years had been teaching? Spinola again wrote a most +earnest remonstrance to the king, assuring him that this was simply to +break off the negotiation. It was ridiculous to suppose, he said, that +concessions already made by the archdukes, ratification of which on the +part of the king had been guaranteed, could now be annulled. Those +acquainted with Netherland obstinacy knew better. The very possibility +of the king's refusal excited the scorn of the States-General. + +Ybarra went about, too, prating to the archdukes and to others of +supplies to be sent from Spain sufficient to carry on the war for many +years, and of fresh troops to be forwarded immediately by Fuentes. As +four millions of crowns a year were known to be required for any +tolerable campaigning, such empty vaunts as these were preposterous. The +king knew full well, said Spinola, and had admitted the fact in his +letters, that this enormous sum could not be furnished. Moreover, the +war cost the Netherlanders far less in proportion. They had river +transportation, by which they effected as much in two days as the +Catholic army could do in a fortnight, so that every siege was managed +with far greater rapidity and less cost by the rebels than by their +opponents. As to sending troops from Milan, he had already stated that +their arrival would have a fatal effect. The minds of the people were +full of suspicion. Every passing rumour excited a prodigious sensation, +and the war party was already gaining the upper hand. Spinola warned the +king, in the most solemn manner, that if the golden opportunity were now +neglected the war would be eternal. This, he said, was more certain than +certain. For himself, he had strained every nerve, and would continue to +do his best in the interest of peace. If calamity must come, he at least +would be held blameless. + +Such vehement remonstrances from so eminent a source produced the needful +effect. Royal letters were immediately sent, placing full powers of +treating in the hands of the marquis, and sending him a ratification of +the archduke's agreement. Government moreover expressed boundless +confidence in Spinola, and deprecated the idea that Ybarra's mission was +in derogation of his authority. He had been sent, it was stated, only to +procure that indispensable preliminary to negotiations, the withdrawal of +the Dutch fleet, but as this had now been granted, Ybarra was already +recalled. + +Spinola now determined to send the swift and sure-footed friar, who had +made himself so useful in opening the path to discussion, on a secret +mission to Spain. Ybarra objected; especially because it would be +necessary for him to go through France, where he would be closely +questioned by the king. It would be equally dangerous, he said, +for the Franciscan in that case to tell the truth or to conceal it. +But Spinola replied that a poor monk like him could steal through France +undiscovered. Moreover, he should be disguised as a footman, travelling +in the service of Aurelio Spinola, a relative of the marquis, then +proceeding to Madrid. Even should Henry hear of his presence and send +for him, was it to be supposed that so practised a hand would not easily +parry the strokes of the French king--accomplished fencer as he +undoubtedly was? After stealing into and out of Holland as he had so +recently done, there was nothing that might not be expected of him. So +the wily friar put on the Spinola livery, and, without impediment, +accompanied Don Aurelio to Madrid. + +Meantime, the French commissioners--Pierre Jeannin, Buzanval, regular +resident at the Hague, and De Russy, who was destined to succeed that +diplomatist--had arrived in Holland. + +The great drama of negotiation, which was now to follow the forty years' +tragedy, involved the interests and absorbed the attention of the great +Christian powers. Although serious enough in its substance and its +probable consequences, its aspect was that of a solemn comedy. There was +a secret disposition on the part of each leading personage--with a few +exceptions--to make dupes of all the rest. Perhaps this was a necessary +result of statesmanship, as it had usually been taught at that epoch. + +Paul V., who had succeeded Clement VIII. in 1605, with the brief +interlude of the twenty-six days of Leo XI.'s pontificate, was zealous, +as might be supposed, to check the dangerous growth of the pestilential +little republic of the north. His diplomatic agents, Millino at Madrid, +Barberini at Paris, and the accomplished Bentivoglio, who had just been +appointed to the nunciatura at Brussels, were indefatigable in their +efforts to suppress the heresy and the insolent liberty of which the +upstart commonwealth was the embodiment. + +Especially Barberini exerted all the powers at his command to bring about +a good understanding between the kings of France and Spain. He pictured +to Henry, in darkest colours, the blight that would come over religion +and civilization if the progress of the rebellious Netherlands could not +be arrested. The United Provinces were becoming dangerous, if they +remained free, not only to the French kingdom, but to the very existence +of monarchy throughout the world. + +No potentate was ever more interested, so it was urged, than Henry IV. +to bring down the pride of the Dutch rebels. There was always sympathy +of thought and action between the Huguenots of France and their co- +religionists in Holland. They were all believers alike in Calvinism-- +a sect inimical not less to temporal monarchies than to the sovereign +primacy of the Church--and the tendency and purposes of the French rebels +were already sufficiently manifest in their efforts, by means of the so- +called cities of security, to erect a state within a state; to introduce, +in short, a Dutch republic into France. + +A sovereign remedy for the disease of liberty, now threatening to become +epidemic in Europe, would be found in a marriage between the second son +of the King of Spain and a daughter of France. As the archdukes were +childless, it might be easily arranged that this youthful couple should +succeed them--the result of which would of course be the reduction of all +the Netherlands to their ancient obedience. + +It has already been seen, and will become still farther apparent, that +nostrums like this were to be recommended in other directions. Meantime, +Jeannin and his colleagues made their appearance at the Hague. + +If there were a living politician in Europe capable of dealing with +Barneveld on even terms, it was no doubt President Jeannin. An ancient +Leaguer, an especial adherent of the Duke of Mayenne, he had been deep in +all the various plots and counter-plots of the Guises, and often employed +by the extinct confederacy in various important intrigues. Being +secretly sent to Spain to solicit help for the League after the disasters +of Ivry and Arques, he found Philip II. so sincerely imbued with the +notion that France was a mere province of Spain, and so entirely bent +upon securing the heritage of the Infanta to that large property, as to +convince him that the maintenance of the Roman religion was with that +monarch only a secondary condition. Aid and assistance for the +confederacy were difficult of attainment, unless coupled with the +guarantee of the Infanta's rights to reign in France. + +The Guise faction being inspired solely by religious motives of the +loftiest kind, were naturally dissatisfied with the lukewarmness of +his most Catholic Majesty. When therefore the discomfited Mayenne +subsequently concluded his bargain with the conqueror of Ivry, it was a +matter of course that Jeannin should also make his peace with the +successful Huguenot, now become eldest son of the Church. He was very +soon taken into especial favour by Henry, who recognised his sagacity, +and who knew his hands to be far cleaner than those of the more exalted +Leaguers with whom he had dealt. The "good old fellow," as Henry +familiarly called him, had not filled his pockets either in serving or +when deserting the League. Placed in control of the exchequer at a later +period, he was never accused of robbery or peculation. He was a hard- +working, not overpaid, very intelligent public functionary. He was made +president of the parliament, or supreme tribunal of Burgundy, and +minister of state, and was recognised as one of the ablest jurists and +most skilful politicians in the kingdom. An elderly man, with a tall, +serene forehead, a large dark eye and a long grey beard, he presented an +image of vast wisdom and reverend probity. He possessed--an especial +treasure for a statesman in that plotting age--a singularly honest +visage. Never was that face more guileless, never was his heart more +completely worn upon his sleeve, than when he was harbouring the deepest +or most dangerous designs. Such was the "good fellow," whom that skilful +reader of men, Henry of France, had sent to represent his interests and +his opinions at the approaching conferences. What were those opinions? +Paul V. and his legates Barberini, Millino, and the rest, were well +enough aware of the secret strings of the king's policy, and knew how to +touch them with skill. Of all things past, Henry perhaps most regretted +that not he, but the last and most wretched of the Valois line, was +sovereign of France when the States-General came to Paris with that +offer of sovereignty which had been so contumaciously refused. + +If the object were attainable, the ex-chief of the Huguenots still +meant to be king of the Netherlands as sincerely as Philip II. had +ever intended to be monarch of France. But Henry was too accurate +a calculator of chances, and had bustled too much in the world of +realities, to exhaust his strength in striving, year after year, for +a manifest impossibility. The enthusiast, who had passed away at last +from the dreams of the Escorial into the land of shadows, had spent a +lifetime, and melted the wealth of an empire; but universal monarchy had +never come forth from his crucible. The French king, although possessed +likewise of an almost boundless faculty for ambitious visions, was +capable of distinguishing cloud-land from substantial empire. +Jeannin, as his envoy, would at any rate not reveal his master's secret +aspirations to those with whom he came to deal, as openly as Philip had +once unveiled himself to Jeannin. + +There could be no doubt that peace at this epoch was the real interest of +France. That kingdom was beginning to flourish again, owing to the very +considerable administrative genius of Bethune, an accomplished financier +according to the lights of the age, and still more by reason of the +general impoverishment of the great feudal houses and of the clergy. +The result of the almost interminable series of civil and religious wars +had been to cause a general redistribution of property. Capital was +mainly in the hands of the middle and lower classes, and the consequence +of this general circulation of wealth through all the channels of society +was precisely what might have been expected, an increase of enterprise +and of productive industry in various branches. Although the financial +wisdom of the age was doing its best to impede commerce, to prevent the +influx of foreign wares, to prohibit the outflow of specie--in obedience +to the universal superstition, which was destined to survive so many +centuries, that gold and silver alone constituted wealth--while, +at the same time, in deference to the idiotic principle of sumptuary +legislation, it was vigorously opposing mulberry culture, silk +manufactures, and other creations of luxury, which, in spite of the +hostility of government sages, were destined from that time forward to +become better mines of wealth for the kingdom than the Indies had been +for Spain, yet on the whole the arts of peace were in the ascendant in +France. + +The king, although an unscrupulous, self-seeking despot and the coarsest +of voluptuaries, was at least a man of genius. He had also too much +shrewd mother-wit to pursue such schemes as experience had shown to +possess no reality. The talisman "Espoir," emblazoned on his shield, had +led him to so much that it was natural for him at times to think all +things possible. + +But he knew how to renounce as well as how to dare. He had abandoned his +hope to be declared Prince of Wales and successor to the English crown, +which he had cherished for a brief period, at the epoch of the Essex +conspiracy; he had forgotten his magnificent dream of placing the crown +of the holy German empire upon his head, and if he still secretly +resolved to annex the Netherlands to his realms, and to destroy his +excellent ally, the usurping, rebellious, and heretic Dutch republic, +he had craft enough to work towards his aim in the dark, and the common +sense to know that by now throwing down the mask he would be for ever +baffled of his purpose. + +The history of France, during the last three-quarters of a century, had +made almost every Frenchman, old enough to bear arms, an accomplished +soldier. Henry boasted that the kingdom could put three hundred thousand +veterans into the field--a high figure, when it is recollected that its +population certainly did not exceed fifteen millions. No man however +was better aware than he, that in spite, of the apparent pacification +of parties, the three hundred thousand would not be all on one side, even +in case of a foreign war. There were at least four thousand great feudal +lords as faithful to the Huguenot faith and cause as he had been false to +both; many of them still wealthy, notwithstanding the general ruin which +had swept over the high nobility, and all of them with vast influence and +a splendid following, both among the lesser gentry and the men of lower +rank. + +Although he kept a Jesuit priest ever at his elbow, and did his best +to persuade the world and perhaps himself that he had become a devout +Catholic, in consequence of those memorable five hours' instruction from +the Bishop of Bourges, and that there was no hope for France save in +its return to the bosom of the Church, he was yet too politic and too +farseeing to doubt that for him to oppress the Protestants would +be not only suicidal, but, what was worse in his eyes, ridiculous. + +He knew, too, that with thirty or forty thousand fighting-men in the +field, with seven hundred and forty churches in the various provinces for +their places of worship, with all the best fortresses in France in their +possession, with leaders like Rohan, Lesdiguieres, Bouillon, and many +others, and with the most virtuous, self-denying, Christian government, +established and maintained by themselves, it would be madness for him +and his dynasty to deny the Protestants their political and religious +liberty, or to attempt a crusade against their brethren in the +Netherlands. + +France was far more powerful than Spain, although the world had not yet +recognised the fact. Yet it would have been difficult for both united to +crush the new commonwealth, however paradoxical such a proposition seemed +to contemporaries. + +Sully was conscientiously in favour of peace, and Sully was the one great +minister of France. Not a Lerma, certainly; for France was not Spain, +nor was Henry IV. a Philip III. The Huguenot duke was an inferior +financier to his Spanish contemporary, if it were the height of financial +skill for a minister to exhaust the resources of a great kingdom in +order to fill his own pocket. Sully certainly did not neglect his own +interests, for be had accumulated a fortune of at least seventy thousand +dollars a year, besides a cash capital estimated at a million and a half. +But while enriching himself, he had wonderfully improved the condition of +the royal treasury. He had reformed many abuses and opened many new +sources of income. He had, of course, not accomplished the whole Augean +task of purification. He was a vigorous Huguenot, but no Hercules, and +demigods might have shrunk appalled at the filthy mass of corruption +which great European kingdoms everywhere presented to the reformer's eye. +Compared to the Spanish Government, that of France might almost have been +considered virtuous, yet even there everything was venal. + +To negotiate was to bribe right and left, and at every step. All the +ministers and great functionaries received presents, as a matter of +course, and it was necessary to pave the pathway even of their ante- +chambers with gold. + +The king was fully aware of the practice, but winked at it, because +his servants, thus paid enormous sums by the public and by foreign +Governments, were less importunate for rewards and salaries from himself. + +One man in the kingdom was said to have clean hands, the venerable and +sagacious chancellor, Pomponne de Bellievre. His wife, however, was less +scrupulous, and readily disposed of influence and court-favour for a +price, without the knowledge, so it was thought, of the great judge. + +Jeannin, too, was esteemed a man of personal integrity, ancient Leaguer +and tricky politician though he were. + +Highest offices of magistracy and judicature, Church and State, were +objects of a traffic almost as shameless as in Spain. The ermine was +sold at auction, mitres were objects of public barter, Church preferments +were bestowed upon female children in their cradles. Yet there was hope +in France, notwithstanding that the Pragmatic Sanction of St. Louis, the +foundation of the liberties of the Gallican Church, had been annulled by +Francis, who had divided the seamless garment of Church patronage with +Leo. + +Those four thousand great Huguenot lords, those thirty thousand hard- +fighting weavers, and blacksmiths, and other plebeians, those seven +hundred and forty churches, those very substantial fortresses in every +province of the kingdom, were better facts than the Holy Inquisition to +preserve a great nation from sinking into the slough of political +extinction. + +Henry was most anxious that Sully should convert himself to the ancient +Church, and the gossips of the day told each other that the duke had +named his price for his conversion. To be made high constable of France, +it was said would melt the resolve of the stiff Huguenot. To any other +inducement or blandishment he was adamant. Whatever truth may have been +in such chatter, it is certain that the duke never gratified his master's +darling desire. + +Yet it was for no lack of attempts and intrigues on the part of the king, +although it is not probable that he would have ever consented to bestow +that august and coveted dignity upon a Bethune. + +The king did his best by intrigue, by calumny, by talebearing, by +inventions, to set the Huguenots against each other, and to excite the +mutual jealousy of all his most trusted adherents, whether Protestant or +Catholic. The most good-humoured, the least vindictive, the most +ungrateful, the falsest of mankind, he made it his policy, as well as his +pastime, to repeat, with any amount of embroidery that his most florid +fancy could devise, every idle story or calumny that could possibly +create bitter feeling and make mischief among those who surrounded him. +Being aware that this propensity was thoroughly understood, he only +multiplied fictions, so cunningly mingled with truths, as to leave his +hearers quite unable to know what to believe and what to doubt. By +such arts, force being impossible, he hoped one day to sever the band +which held the conventicles together, and to reduce Protestantism to +insignificance. He would have cut off the head of D'Aubigne or Duplessis +Mornay to gain an object, and have not only pardoned but caressed and +rewarded Biron when reeking from the conspiracy against his own life and +crown, had he been willing to confess and ask pardon for his stupendous +crime. He hated vindictive men almost as much as he despised those who +were grateful. + +He was therefore far from preferring Sully to Villeroy or Jeannin, but he +was perfectly aware that, in financial matters at least, the duke was his +best friend and an important pillar of the state. + +The minister had succeeded in raising the annual revenue of France +to nearly eleven millions of dollars, and in reducing the annual +expenditures to a little more than ten millions. To have a balance on +the right side of the public ledger was a feat less easily accomplished +in those days even than in our own. Could the duke have restrained his +sovereign's reckless extravagance in buildings, parks, hunting +establishments, and harems, he might have accomplished even greater +miracles. He lectured the king roundly, as a parent might remonstrate +with a prodigal son, but it was impossible even for a Sully to rescue +that hoary-headed and most indomitable youth from wantonness and riotous +living. The civil-list of the king amounted to more than one-tenth of +the whole revenue. + +On the whole, however, it was clear, as France was then constituted and +administered, that a general peace would be, for the time at least, most +conducive to its interests, and Henry and his great minister were +sincerely desirous of bringing about that result. + +Preliminaries for a negotiation which should terminate this mighty war +were now accordingly to be laid down at the Hague. Yet it would seem +rather difficult to effect a compromise. Besides the powers less +interested, but which nevertheless sent representatives to watch the +proceedings--such as Sweden, Denmark, Brandenburg, the Elector Palatine +--there were Spain, France, England, the republic, and the archdukes. + +Spain knew very well that she could not continue the war; but she hoped +by some quibbling recognition of an impossible independence to recover +that authority over her ancient vassals which the sword had for the time +struck down. Distraction in councils, personal rivalries, the well- +known incapacity of a people to govern itself, commercial greediness, +provincial hatreds, envies and jealousies, would soon reduce that jumble +of cities and villages, which aped the airs of sovereignty, into +insignificance and confusion. Adroit management would easily re-assert +afterwards the sovereignty of the Lord's anointed. That a republic of +freemen, a federation of independent states, could take its place among +the nations did not deserve a serious thought. + +Spain in her heart preferred therefore to treat. It was however +indispensable that the Netherlands should reestablish the Catholic +religion throughout the land, should abstain then and for ever from all +insolent pretences to trade with India or America, and should punish such +of their citizens as attempted to make voyages to the one or the other. +With these trifling exceptions, the court of Madrid would look with +favour on propositions made in behalf of the rebels. + +France, as we have seen, secretly aspired to the sovereignty of all the +Netherlands, if it could be had. She was also extremely in favour of +excluding the Hollanders from the Indies, East and West. The king, fired +with the achievements of the republic at sea, and admiring their great +schemes for founding empires at the antipodes by means of commercial +corporations, was very desirous of appropriating to his own benefit the +experience, the audacity, the perseverance, the skill and the capital of +their merchants and mariners. He secretly instructed his commissioners, +therefore, and repeatedly urged it upon them, to do their best to procure +the renunciation, on the part of the republic, of the Indian trade, +and to contrive the transplantation into France of the mighty trading +companies, so successfully established in Holland and Zeeland. + +The plot thus to deprive the provinces of their India trade was supposed +by the statesmen of the republic to have been formed in connivance with +Spain. That power, finding itself half pushed from its seat of power in +the East by the "grand and infallible society created by the United +Provinces,"--[Memoir of Aerssens, ubi sup]--would be but too happy to +make use of this French intrigue in order to force the intruding Dutch +navy from its conquests. + +Olden-Barneveld, too politic to offend the powerful and treacherous ally +by a flat refusal, said that the king's friendship was more precious than +the India trade. At the same time he warned the French Government that, +if they ruined the Dutch East India Company, "neither France nor any +other nation would ever put its nose into India again." + +James of England, too, flattered himself that he could win for England +that sovereignty of the Netherlands which England as well as France had +so decidedly refused. The marriage of Prince Henry with the Spanish +Infanta was the bait, steadily dangled before him by the politicians of +the Spanish court, and he deluded himself with the thought that the +Catholic king, on the death of the childless archdukes, would make his +son and daughter-in-law a present of the obedient Netherlands. He +already had some of the most important places in the United Netherlands- +the famous cautionary towns in his grasp, and it should go hard but he +would twist that possession into a sovereignty over the whole land. As +for recognising the rebel provinces as an independent sovereignty, that +was most abhorrent to him. Such a tampering with the great principles of +Government was an offence against all crowned heads, a crime in which he +was unwilling to participate. + +His instinct against rebellion seemed like second sight. The king might +almost be imagined to have foreseen in the dim future those memorable +months in which the proudest triumph of the Dutch commonwealth was to be +registered before the forum of Christendom at the congress of Westphalia, +and in which the solemn trial and execution of his own son and successor, +with the transformation of the monarchy of the Tudors and Stuarts into a +British republic, were simultaneously to startle the world. But it +hardly needed the gift of prophecy to inspire James with a fear of +revolutions. + +He was secretly desirous therefore, sustained by Salisbury and his other +advisers, of effecting the restoration of the provinces to the dominion +of his most Catholic Majesty. It was of course the interest of England +that the Netherland rebels should renounce the India trade. So would +James be spared the expense and trouble of war; so would the great +doctrines of divine right be upheld; so would the way be paved towards +the ultimate absorption of the Netherlands by England. Whether his +theological expositions would find as attentive pupils when the pope's +authority had been reestablished over all his neighbours; whether the +Catholic rebels in Ireland would become more tranquil by the subjugation +of the Protestant rebels in Holland; whether the principles of Guy Fawkes +might not find more effective application, with no bulwark beyond the +seas against the incursion of such practitioners--all this he did not +perhaps sufficiently ponder. + +Thus far had the discursive mind of James wandered from the position +which it occupied at the epoch of Maximilian de Bethune's memorable +embassy to England. + +The archdukes were disposed to quiet. On them fell the burthen of the +war. Their little sovereignty, where--if they could only be allowed +to expend the money squeezed from the obedient provinces in court +diversions, stately architecture, splendid encouragement of the fine +arts, and luxurious living, surrounded by a train of great nobles, fit +to command regiments in the field or assist in the counsels of state, but +chiefly occupied in putting dishes on the court table, handing ewers and +napkins to their Highnesses, or in still more menial offices--so much +enjoyment might be had, was reduced to a mere parade ground for Spanish +soldiery. It was ridiculous, said the politicians of Madrid, to suppose +that a great empire like Spain would not be continually at war in one +direction or another, and would not perpetually require the use of large +armies. Where then could there be a better mustering place for their +forces than those very provinces, so easy of access, so opulent, so +conveniently situate in the neighbourhood of Spain's most insolent +enemies? It was all very fine for the archduke, who knew nothing of war, +they declared, who had no hope of children, who longed only for a life +of inglorious ease, such as he could have had as archbishop, to prate of +peace and thus to compromise the dignity of the realm. On the contrary +by making proper use of the Netherlands, the repose and grandeur of the +monarchy would be secured, even should the war become eternal. + +This prospect, not agreeable certainly for the archdukes or their +subjects, was but little admired outside the Spanish court. + +Such then were the sentiments of the archdukes, and such the schemes and +visions of Spain, France, and England. On two or three points, those +great powers were mainly, if unconsciously, agreed. The Netherlands +should not be sovereign; they should renounce the India navigation; they +should consent to the re-establishment of the Catholic religion. + +On the other hand, the States-General knew their own minds, and made not +the slightest secret of their intentions. + +They would be sovereign, they would not renounce the India trade, they +would not agree to the re-establishment of the Catholic religion. + +Could the issue of the proposed negotiations be thought hopeful, or was +another half century of warfare impending? + +On the 28th May the French commissioners came before the States-General. + +There had been many wild rumours flying through the provinces in regard +to the king's secret designs upon the republic, especially since the +visit made to the Hague a twelvemonth before by Francis Aerssens, States' +resident at the French court. That diplomatist, as we know, had been +secretly commissioned by Henry to feel the public pulse in regard to the +sovereignty, so far as that could be done by very private and delicate +fingering. Although only two or three personages had been dealt with-- +the suggestions being made as the private views of the ambassadors only +--there had been much gossip on the subject, not only in the Netherlands, +but at the English and Spanish courts. Throughout the commonwealth there +was a belief that Henry wished to make himself king of the country. + +As this happened to be the fact, it was natural that the President, +according to the statecraft of his school, should deny it at once, and +with an air of gentle melancholy. + +Wearing therefore his most ingenuous expression, Jeannin addressed the +assembly. + +He assured the States that the king had never forgotten how much +assistance he had received from them when he was struggling to conquer +the kingdom legally belonging to him, and at a time when they too were +fighting in their own country for their very existence. + +The king thought that he had given so many proofs of his sincere +friendship as to make doubt impossible; but he had found the contrary, +for the States had accorded an armistice, and listened to overtures of +peace, without deigning to consult him on the subject. They had proved, +by beginning and concluding so important a transaction without his +knowledge, that they regarded him with suspicion, and had no respect for +his name. Whence came the causes of that suspicion it was difficult to +imagine, unless from certain false rumours of propositions said to have +been put forward in his behalf, although he had never authorised anyone +to make them, by which men had been induced to believe that he aspired to +the sovereignty of the provinces. + +"This falsehood," continued the candid President, "has cut our king to +the heart, wounding him more deeply than anything else could have done. +To make the armistice without his knowledge showed merely your contempt +for him, and your want of faith in him. But he blamed not the action in +itself, since you deemed it for your good, and God grant that you may not +have been deceived. But to pretend that his Majesty wished to grow great +at your expense, this was to do a wrong to his reputation, to his good +faith, and to the desire which he has always shown to secure the +prosperity of your state." Much more spoke Jeannin, in this vein, +assuring the assembly that those abominable falsehoods proceeded from +the enemies of the king, and were designed expressly to sow discord and +suspicion in the provinces. The reader, already aware of the minute and +detailed arrangements made by Henry and his ministers for obtaining the +sovereignty of the United Provinces and destroying their liberties, will +know how to appreciate the eloquence of the ingenuous President. + +After the usual commonplaces concerning the royal desire to protect his +allies against wrong and oppression, and to advance their interests, the +President suggested that the States should forthwith communicate the +pending deliberations to all the kings and princes who had favoured their +cause, and especially to the King of England, who had so thoroughly +proved his desire to promote their welfare. + +As Jeannin had been secretly directed to pave the way by all possible +means for the king's sovereignty over the provinces; as he was not long +afterwards to receive explicit instructions to expend as much money as +might be necessary in bribing Prince Maurice, Count Lewis William, +Barneveld and his son, together with such others as might seem worth +purchasing, in order to assist Henry in becoming monarch of their +country; and as the English king was at that moment represented in +Henry's private letters to the commissioners as actually loathing the +liberty, power, and prosperity of the provinces, it must be conceded that +the President had acquitted himself very handsomely in his first oration. + +Such was the virtue of his honest face. + +Barneveld answered with generalities and commonplaces. No man knew +better than the Advocate the exact position of affairs; no man had more +profoundly fathomed the present purposes of the French king; no man had +more acutely scanned his character. But he knew the critical position of +the commonwealth. He knew that, although the public revenue might be +raised by extraordinary and spasmodic exertion to nearly a million +sterling, a larger income than had ever been at the disposition of the +great Queen of England, the annual deficit might be six millions of +florins--more than half the revenue--if the war continued, and that there +was necessity of peace, could the substantial objects of the war be now +obtained. He was well aware too of the subtle and scheming brain which +lay hid beneath that reverend brow of the President, although he felt +capable of coping with him in debate or intrigue. Doubtless he was +inspired with as much ardour for the intellectual conflict as Henry +might have experienced on some great field-day with Alexander Farnese. + +On this occasion, however, Barneveld preferred to glide gently over the +rumours concerning Henry's schemes. Those reports had doubtless +emanated, he said, from the enemies of Netherland prosperity. The +private conclusion of the armistice he defended on the ground of +necessity, and of temporary financial embarrassment, and he promised +that deputies should at once be appointed to confer with the royal +commissioners in regard to the whole subject. + +In private, he assured Jeannin that the communications of Aerssens had +only been discussed in secret, and had not been confided to more than +three or four persons. + +The Advocate, although the leader of the peace party, was by no means +over anxious for peace. + +The object of much insane obloquy, because disposed to secure that +blessing for his country on the basis of freedom and independence, he was +not disposed to trust in the sincerity of the archdukes, or the Spanish +court, or the French king. "Timeo Danaos etiam dona ferentes," he had +lately said to Aerssens. Knowing that the resistance of the Netherlands +had been forty years long the bulwark of Europe against the designs of +the Spaniard for universal empire, he believed the republic justified in +expecting the support of the leading powers in the negotiations now +proposed. "Had it not been for the opposition of these provinces," he +said, "he might, in the opinion of the wisest, have long ago been monarch +of all Europe, with small expense of men, money, or credit." He was far +from believing therefore that Spain, which had sacrificed, according to +his estimate, three hundred thousand soldiers and two hundred million +ducats in vain endeavours to destroy the resistance of the United +Provinces, was now ready to lay aside her vengeance and submit to a +sincere peace. Rather he thought to see "the lambkins, now frisking so +innocently about the commonwealth, suddenly transform themselves into +lions and wolves." It would be a fatal error, he said, to precipitate +the dear fatherland into the net of a simulated negotiation, from unwise +impatience for peace. The Netherlanders were a simple, truthful people +and could hope for no advantage in dealing with Spanish friars, nor +discover all the danger and deceit lurking beneath their fair words. +Thus the man, whom his enemies perpetually accused of being bought by +the enemy, of wishing peace at any price, of wishing to bring back the +Catholic party and ecclesiastical influence to the Netherlands, was +vigorously denouncing a precipitate peace, and warning his countrymen +of the danger of premature negotiations. + +"As one can hardly know the purity and value of gold," he said, "without +testing it, so it is much more difficult to distinguish a false peace +from a genuine one; for one can never touch it nor taste it; and one +learns the difference when one is cheated and lost. Ignorant people +think peace negotiations as simple as a private lawsuit. Many sensible +persons even think that; the enemy once recognising us for a free, +sovereign state, we shall be in the same position as England and France, +which powers have lately made peace with the archdukes and with Spain. +But we shall find a mighty difference. Moreover, in those kingdoms the +Spanish king has since the peace been ever busy corrupting their officers +of state and their subjects, and exciting rebellion and murder within +their realms, as all the world must confess. And the English merchants +complain that they have suffered more injustice, violence, and wrong from +the Spaniards since the peace than they did during the war." + +The Advocate also reminded his countrymen that the archduke, being a +vassal of Spain, could not bind that power by his own signature, and that +there was no proof that the king would renounce his pretended rights to +the provinces. If he affected to do so, it would only be to put the +republic to sleep. He referred, with much significance, to the late +proceedings of the Admiral of Arragon at Emmerich, who refused to release +that city according to his plighted word, saying roundly that whatever he +might sign and seal one day he would not hesitate absolutely to violate +on the next if the king's service was thereby to be benefited. + +With such people, who had always learned law-doctors and ghostly +confessors to strengthen and to absolve them, they could never expect +anything but broken faith and contempt for treaties however solemnly +ratified. + +Should an armistice be agreed upon and negotiations begun, the Advocate +urged that the work of corruption and bribery would not be a moment +delayed, and although the Netherlanders were above all nations a true and +faithful race, it could hardly be hoped that no individuals would be +gained over by the enemy. + +"For the whole country," said Barneveld, "would swarm with Jesuits, +priests, and monks, with calumnies and corruptions--the machinery by +which the enemy is wont to produce discord, relying for success upon the +well-known maxim of Philip of Macedon, who considered no city impregnable +into which he could send an ass laden with gold." + +The Advocate was charged too with being unfriendly to the India trade, +especially to the West India Company. + +He took the opportunity, however, to enlarge with emphasis and eloquence +upon that traffic as constituting the very lifeblood of the country. + +"The commerce with the East Indies is going on so prosperously," he said, +"that not only our own inhabitants but all strangers are amazed. The +West India Company is sufficiently prepared, and will cost the +commonwealth so little, that the investment will be inconsiderable in +comparison with the profits. And all our dangers and difficulties have +nearly vanished since the magnificent victory of Gibraltar, by which the +enemy's ships, artillery, and sailors have been annihilated, and proof +afforded that the Spanish galleys are not so terrible as they pretend to +be. By means of this trade to both the Indies, matters will soon be +brought into such condition that the Spaniards will be driven out of all +those regions and deprived of their traffic. Thus will the great wolf's +teeth be pulled out, and we need have no farther fear of his biting +again. Then we may hope for a firm and assured peace, and may keep the +Indies, with the whole navigation thereon depending, for ourselves, +sharing it freely and in common with our allies." + +Certainly no statesman could more strongly depict the dangers of a +pusillanimous treaty, and the splendid future of the republic, if she +held fast to her resolve for political independence, free religion, and +free trade, than did the great Advocate at this momentous epoch of +European history. + +Had he really dreamed of surrendering the republic to Spain, that +republic whose resistance ever since the middle of the previous century +had been all that had saved Europe, in the opinion of learned and +experienced thinkers, from the universal empire of Spain--had the +calumnies, or even a thousandth part of the calumnies, against him been +true--how different might have been the history of human liberty! + +Soon afterwards, in accordance with the suggestions of the French king +and with their own previous intentions, a special legation was despatched +by the States to England, in order to notify the approaching conferences +to the sovereign of that country, and to invite his participation in the +proceedings. + +The States' envoys were graciously received by James, who soon appointed +Richard Spencer and Ralph Winwood as commissioners to the Hague, duly +instructed to assist at the deliberations, and especially to keep a sharp +watch upon French intrigues. There were also missions and invitations to +Denmark and to the Electors Palatine and of Brandenburg, the two latter +potentates having, during the past three years, assisted the States with +a hundred thousand florins annually. + +The news of the great victory at Gibraltar had reached the Netherlands +almost simultaneously with the arrival of the French commissioners. +It was thought probable that John Neyen had received the weighty +intelligence some days earlier, and the intense eagerness of the +archdukes and of the Spanish Government to procure the recal of the Dutch +fleet was thus satisfactorily explained. Very naturally this magnificent +success, clouded though it was by the death of the hero to whom it was +due, increased the confidence of the States in the justice of their cause +and the strength of their position. + +Once more, it is not entirely idle to consider the effect of scientific +progress on the march of human affairs, as so often exemplified in +history. Whether that half-century of continuous war would have been +possible with the artillery, means of locomotion, and other machinery of +destruction and communication now so terribly familiar to the world, can +hardly be a question. The preterhuman prolixity of negotiation which +appals us in the days when steam and electricity had not yet annihilated +time and space, ought also to be obsolete. At a period when the news +of a great victory was thirty days on its travels from Gibraltar to +Flushing, aged counsellors justified themselves in a solemn consumption +of time such as might have exasperated Jared or Methuselah in his +boyhood. Men fought as if war was the normal condition of humanity, and +negotiated as if they were all immortal. But has the art political kept +pace with the advancement of physical science? If history be valuable +for the examples it furnishes both for imitation and avoidance, then the +process by which these peace conferences were initiated and conducted may +be wholesome food for reflection. + +John Neyen, who, since his secret transactions already described at the +Hague and Fort Lillo, had been speeding back and forth between Brussels, +London, and Madrid, had once more returned to the Netherlands, and had +been permitted to reside privately at Delft until the king's ratification +should arrive from Spain. + +While thus established, the industrious friar had occupied his leisure in +studying the situation of affairs. Especially he had felt inclined to +renew some of those little commercial speculations which had recently +proved so comfortable in the case of Dirk van der Does. Recorder +Cornelius Aerssens came frequently to visit him, with the private consent +of the Government, and it at once struck the friar that Cornelius would +be a judicious investment. So he informed the recorder that the +archdukes had been much touched with his adroitness and zeal in +facilitating the entrance of their secret agent into the presence of the +Prince and the Advocate. Cruwel, in whose company the disguised Neyen +had made his first journey to the Hague, was a near relative of Aerssena, +The honest monk accordingly, in recognition of past and expected +services, begged one day the recorder's acceptance of a bill, drawn by +Marquis Spinola on Henry Beckman, merchant of Amsterdam, for eighty +thousand ducats. He also produced a diamond ring, valued at ten thousand +florins, which he ventured to think worthy the acceptance of Madame +Aerssens. Furthermore, he declared himself ready to pay fifteen thousand +crowns in cash, on account of the bill, whenever it might be, desired, +and observed that the archdukes had ordered the house which the recorder +had formerly occupied in Brussels to be reconveyed to him. Other good +things were in store, it was delicately hinted, as soon as they had been +earned. + +Aerssens expressed his thanks for the house, which, he said, legally +belonged to him according to the terms of the surrender of Brussels. +He hesitated in regard to the rest, but decided finally to accept the +bill of exchange and the diamond, apprising Prince Maurice and Olden- +Barneveld of the fact, however, on his return to the Hague. Being +subsequently summoned by Neyen to accept the fifteen thousand crowns, +he felt embarrassed at the compromising position in which he had placed +himself. He decided accordingly to make a public statement of the affair +to the States-General. This was done, and the States placed the ring and +the bill in the hands of their treasurer, Joris de Bie. + +The recorder never got the eighty thousand ducats, nor his wife the +diamond; but although there had been no duplicity on his part, he got +plenty of slander. His evil genius had prompted him, not to listen +seriously to the temptings of the monk, but to deal with him on his own +terms. He was obliged to justify himself against public suspicion with +explanations and pamphlets, but some taint of the calumny stuck by him +to the last. + +Meantime, the three months allotted for the reception of Philip's +ratification had nearly expired. In March, the royal Government had +expressly consented that the archdukes should treat with the rebels on +the ground of their independence. In June that royal permission had been +withdrawn, exactly because the independence could never be acknowledged. +Albert, naturally enough indignant at such double-dealing, wrote to the +king that his disapprobation was incomprehensible, as the concession of +independence had been made by direct command of Philip. "I am much +amazed," he said, "that, having treated with the islanders on condition +of leaving them free, by express order of your Majesty (which you must +doubtless very well remember), your Majesty now reproves my conduct, and +declares your dissatisfaction." At last, on the 23rd July, Spinola +requested a safe conduct for Louis Verreyken, auditor of the council at +Brussels, to come to the Hague. + +On the 23rd of July that functionary accordingly arrived. He came before +Prince Maurice and fifty deputies of the States-General, and exhibited +the document. At the same time he urged them, now that the long-desired +ratification had been produced, to fulfil at once their promise, and to +recal their fleet from the coast of Spain. + +Verreyken was requested to withdraw while the instrument was examined. +When recalled, he was informed that the States had the most staight- +forward intention to negotiate, but that the royal document did not at +all answer their expectation. As few of the delegates could read +Spanish, it would first of all be necessary to cause it to be translated. + +When that was done they would be able to express their opinion concerning +it and come to a decision in regard to the recal of the fleet. This +ended the proceedings on that occasion. + +Next day Prince Maurice invited Verreyken and others to dine. After +dinner the stadholder informed him that the answer of the States might +soon be expected; at the same time expressing his regret that the king +should have sent such an instrument. It was very necessary, said the +prince, to have plain speaking, and he, for one, had never believed that +the king would send a proper ratification. The one exhibited was not at +all to the purpose. The king was expected to express himself as clearly +as the archdukes had done in their instrument. He must agree to treat +with the States-General as with people entirely free, over whom he +claimed no authority. If the king should refuse to make this public +declaration, the States would at once break off all negotiations. + +Three days afterwards, seven deputies conferred with Verreyken. +Barneveld, as spokesman, declared that, so far as the provinces were +concerned, the path was plain and open to an honest, ingenuous, lasting +peace, but that the manner of dealing on the other side was artificial +and provocative of suspicion. A most important line, which had been +placed by the States at the very beginning of the form suggested by them, +was wanting in the ratification now received. This hardly seemed an +accidental omission. The whole document was constrained and defective. +It was necessary to deal with Netherlanders in clear and simple language. +The basis of any possible negotiation was that the provinces were to be +treated with as and called entirely free. Unless this was done +negotiations were impossible. The States-General were not so unskilled +in affairs as to be ignorant that the king and the archdukes were quite +capable, at a future day, of declaring themselves untrammelled by any +conditions. They would boast that conventions with rebels and pledges to +heretics were alike invalid. If Verreyken had brought no better document +than the one presented, he had better go at once. His stay in the +provinces was superfluous. + +At a subsequent interview Barneveld informed Verreyken that the king's +confirmation had been unanimously rejected by the States-General as +deficient both in form and substance. He added that the people of the +provinces were growing very lukewarm in regard to peace, that Prince +Maurice opposed it, that many persons regretted the length to which the +negotiations had already gone. Difficult as it seemed to be to recede, +the archdukes might be certain that a complete rupture was imminent. + +All these private conversations of Barneveld, who was known to be the +chief of the peace party, were duly reported by Verreyken in secret notes +to the archduke and to Spinola. Of course they produced their effect. +It surely might have been seen that the tricks and shifts of an +antiquated diplomacy were entirely out of place if any wholesome result +were desired. But the habit of dissimulation was inveterate. That the +man who cannot dissemble is unfit to reign, was perhaps the only one of +his father's golden rules which Philip III. could thoroughly comprehend, +even if it be assumed that the monarch was at all consulted in regard to +this most important transaction of his life. Verreyken and the friar +knew very well when they brought the document that it would be spurned by +the States, and yet they were also thoroughly aware that it was the +king's interest to, begin the negotiations as soon as possible. When +thus privately and solemnly assured by the Advocate that they were really +wasting their time by being the bearers of these royal evasions, they +learned therefore nothing positively new, but were able to assure their +employers that to thoroughly disgust the peace party was not precisely +the mode of terminating the war. + +Verreyken now received public and formal notification that a new +instrument must be procured from the king. In the ratification which had +been sent, that monarch spoke of the archdukes as princes and sovereign +proprietors of all the Netherlands. The clause by which, according to +the form prescribed by the States, and already adopted by the archdukes, +the United Provinces were described as free countries over which no +authority was claimed had been calmly omitted, as if, by such a +subterfuge, the independence of the republic could be winked out +of existence. Furthermore, it was objected that the document was in +Spanish, that it was upon paper instead of parchment, that it was not +sealed with the great, but with the little seal, and that it was +subscribed. + +"I the King." This signature might be very appropriate for decrees +issued by a monarch to his vassals, but could not be rightly appended, +it was urged, to an instrument addressed to a foreign power. Potentates, +treating with the States-General of the United Provinces, were expected +to sign their names. + +Whatever may be thought of the technical requirements in regard to the +parchment, the signature, and the seal, it would be difficult to +characterize too strongly the polity of the Spanish Government in the +most essential point. To seek relief from the necessity of recognising- +at least in the sense of similitude, according to the subtlety of +Bentivoglio--the freedom of the provinces, simply by running the pen +through the most important line of a most important document, was +diplomacy in its dotage. Had not Marquis Spinola, a man who could use +his brains and his pen as well as his sword, expressly implored the +politicians of Madrid not to change even a comma in the form of +ratification which he sent to Spain? + +Verreyken, placed face to face with plain-spoken, straightforward, +strong-minded men, felt the dreary absurdity of the position. He +could only stammer a ridiculous excuse about the clause, having been +accidentally left out by a copying secretary. To represent so important +an omission as a clerical error was almost as great an absurdity as the +original device; but it was necessary for Verreyken to say something. + +He promised, however, that the form prescribed by the States should +be again transmitted to Madrid, and expressed confidence that the +ratification would now be sent as desired. Meantime he trusted that +the fleet would be at once recalled. + +This at once created a stormy debate which lasted many days, both within +the walls of the House of Assembly and out of doors. Prince Maurice +bitterly denounced the proposition, and asserted the necessity rather of +sending out more ships than of permitting their cruisers to return. It +was well known that the Spanish Government, since the destruction of +Avila's fleet, had been straining every nerve to procure and equip other +war-vessels, and that even the Duke of Lerma had offered a small portion +of his immense plunderings to the crown in aid of naval armaments. + +On the other hand, Barneveld urged that the States, in the preliminary +armistice, had already agreed to send no munitions nor reinforcements to +the fleet already cruising on the coasts of the peninsula. It would be +better, therefore, to recal those ships than to leave them where they +could not be victualled nor strengthened without a violation of good +faith. + +These opinions prevailed, and on the 9th August, Verreyken was summoned +before the Assembly, and informed by Barneveld that the States had +decided to withdraw the fleet, and to declare invalid all prizes made +six weeks after that date. + +This was done, it was said, out of respect to the archdukes, to whom no +blame was imputed for the negligence displayed in regard to the +ratification. Furthermore, the auditor was requested to inform his +masters that the documents brought from Spain were not satisfactory, and +he was furnished with a draught, made both in Latin and French. With +this form, it was added, the king was to comply within six weeks, if he +desired to proceed further in negotiations with the States. + +Verreyken thanked the States-General, made the best of promises, and +courteously withdrew. + +Next day, however, just as his preparations for departure had been made, +he was once more summoned before the Assembly to meet with a somewhat +disagreeable surprise. Barneveld, speaking as usual in behalf of the +States-General, publicly produced Spinola's bill of exchange for eighty +thousand ducats, the diamond ring intended for Madame Aerssens, and the +gold chain given to Dirk van der Does, and expressed the feelings of the +republican Government in regard to those barefaced attempts of Friar John +at bribery and corruption, in very scornful language? Netherlanders were +not to be bought--so the agent of Spain and of the archdukes was +informed--and, even if the citizens were venal, it would be necessary +in a popular Government to buy up the whole nation. "It is not in our +commonwealth as in despotisms," said the Advocate, "where affairs of +state are directed by the nod of two or three individuals, while the +rest of the inhabitants are a mob of slaves. By turns, we all govern +and are governed. This great council, this senate--should it seem not +sufficiently fortified against your presents-could easily be enlarged. +Here is your chain, your ring, your banker's draught. Take them all back +to your masters. Such gifts are not necessary to ensure a just peace, +while to accept them would be a crime against liberty, which we are +incapable of committing." + +Verreyken, astonished and abashed, could answer little save to mutter a +few words about the greediness of monks, who, judging everyone else by +themselves, thought no one inaccessible to a bribe. He protested the +innocence of the archdukes in the matter, who had given no directions to +bribe, and who were quite ignorant that the attempt had been made. + +He did not explain by whose authority the chain, the ring, and the +draught upon Beckman had been furnished to the friar. + +Meantime that ecclesiastic was cheerfully wending his way to Spain in +search of the new ratification, leaving his colleague vicariously to +bide the pelting of the republican storm, and to return somewhat +weather-beaten to Brussels. + +During the suspension, thus ridiculously and gratuitously caused, of +preliminaries which had already lasted the better portion of a year, +party-spirit was rising day by day higher, and spreading more widely +throughout the provinces. Opinions and sentiments were now sharply +defined and loudly announced. The clergy, from a thousand pulpits, +thundered against the peace, exposing the insidious practices, the +faithless promises, the monkish corruptions, by which the attempt was +making to reduce the free republic once more into vassalage to Spain. +The people everywhere listened eagerly and applauded. Especially the +mariners, cordwainers, smiths, ship-chandlers, boatmen, the tapestry +weavers, lace-manufacturers, shopkeepers, and, above all, the India +merchants and stockholders in the great commercial companies for the East +and West, lifted up their voices for war. This was the party of Prince +Maurice, who made no secret of his sentiments, and opposed, publicly and +privately, the resumption of negotiations. Doubtless his adherents were +the most numerous portion of the population. + +Barneveld, however, was omnipotent with the municipal governments, and +although many individuals in those bodies were deeply interested in the +India navigation and the great corporations, the Advocate turned them as +usual around his finger. + +Ever since the memorable day of Nieuport there had been no love lost +between the stadholder and the Advocate. They had been nominally +reconciled to each other, and had, until lately, acted with tolerable +harmony, but each was thoroughly conscious of the divergence of their +respective aims. + +Exactly at this period the long-smothered resentment of Maurice against +his old preceptor, counsellor, and, as he believed, betrayer, flamed +forth anew. He was indignant that a man, so infinitely beneath him in +degree, should thus dare to cross his plans, to hazard, as he believed, +the best interests of the state, and to interfere with the course of his +legitimate ambition. There was more glory for a great soldier to earn in +future battle-fields, a higher position before the world to be won. He +had a right by birth, by personal and family service, to claim admittance +among the monarchs of Europe. The pistol of Balthasar Gerard had alone +prevented the elevation of his father to the sovereignty of the +provinces. The patents, wanting only a few formalities, were still in +possession of the son. As the war went on--and nothing but blind belief +in Spanish treachery could cause the acceptance of a peace which would be +found to mean slavery--there was no height to which he might not climb. +With the return of peace and submission, his occupation would be gone, +obscurity and poverty the sole recompense for his life long services and +the sacrifices of his family. The memory of the secret movements twice +made but a few years before to elevate him to the sovereignty, and which +he believed to have been baffled by the Advocate, doubtless rankled in +his breast. He did not forget that when the subject had been discussed +by the favourers of the scheme in Barneveld's own house, Barneveld +himself had prophesied that one day or another "the rights would burst +out which his Excellency had to become prince of the provinces, on +strength of the signed and sealed documents addressed to the late Prince +of Orange; that he had further alluded to the efforts then on foot to +make him Duke of Gelderland; adding with a sneer, that Zeeland was all +agog on the subject, while in that province there were individuals very +desirous of becoming children of Zebedee." + +Barneveld, on his part, although accustomed to speak in public of his +Excellency Prince Maurice in terms of profoundest respect, did not fail +to communicate in influential quarters his fears that the prince was +inspired by excessive ambition, and that he desired to protract the war, +not for the good of the commonwealth, but for the attainment of greater +power in the state. The envoys of France, expressly instructed on that +subject by the king, whose purposes would be frustrated if the ill-blood +between these eminent personages could not be healed, did their best to +bring about a better understanding, but with hardly more than an apparent +success. + +Once more there were stories flying about that the stadholder had called +the Advocate liar, and that he had struck him or offered to strike him-- +tales as void of truth, doubtless, as those so rife after the battle of +Nieuport, but which indicated the exasperation which existed. + +When the news of the rejection of the King's ratification reached Madrid, +the indignation of the royal conscience-keepers was vehement. + +That the potentate of so large a portion of the universe should be +treated by those lately his subjects with less respect than that due from +equals to equals, seemed intolerable. So thoroughly inspired, however, +was the king by the love of religion and the public good--as he informed +Marquis Spinola by letter--and so intense was his desire for the +termination of that disastrous war, that he did not hesitate indulgently +to grant what had been so obstinately demanded. Little was to be +expected, he said, from the stubbornness of the provinces, and from their +extraordinary manner of transacting business, but looking, nevertheless, +only to divine duty, and preferring its dictates to a selfish regard for +his own interests, he had resolved to concede that liberty to the +provinces which had been so importunately claimed. He however imposed +the condition that the States should permit free and public exercise of +the Catholic religion throughout their territories, and that so long as +such worship was unobstructed, so long and no longer should the liberty +now conceded to the provinces endure. + +"Thus did this excellent prince," says an eloquent Jesuit, "prefer +obedience to the Church before subjection to himself, and insist that +those, whom he emancipated from his own dominions, should still be loyal +to the sovereignty of the Pope." + +Friar John, who had brought the last intelligence from the Netherlands, +might have found it difficult, if consulted, to inform the king how many +bills of exchange would be necessary to force this wonderful condition on +the Government of the provinces. That the republic should accept that +liberty as a boon which she had won with the red right hand, and should +establish within her domains as many agents for Spanish reaction as +there were Roman priests, monks, and Jesuits to be found, was not very +probable. It was not thus nor then that the great lesson of religious +equality and liberty for all men--the inevitable result of the Dutch +revolt--was to be expounded. The insertion of such a condition in the +preamble to a treaty with a foreign power would have been a desertion on +the part of the Netherlands of the very principle of religious or civil +freedom. + +The monk, however, had convinced the Spanish Government that in six +months after peace had been made the States would gladly accept the +dominion of Spain once more, or, at the very least, would annex +themselves to the obedient Netherlands under the sceptre of the +archdukes. + +Secondly, he assured the duke that they would publicly and totally +renounce all connection with France. + +Thirdly, he pledged himself that the exercise of the Catholic religion +would be as free as that of any other creed. + +And the duke of Lerma believed it all: such and no greater was his +capacity for understanding the course of events which he imagined himself +to be directing. Certainly Friar John did not believe what he said. + +"Master Monk is not quite so sure of his stick as he pretends to be," +said Secretary-of-State Villeroy. Of course, no one knew better the +absurdity of those assurances than Master Monk himself. + +"It may be that he has held such language," said Jeannin, "in order to +accomplish his object in Spain. But 'tis all dreaming and moonshine, +which one should laugh at rather than treat seriously. These people here +mean to be sovereign for ever and will make no peace except on that +condition. This grandeur and vanity have entered so deeply into their +brains that they will be torn into little pieces rather than give it up." + +Spinola, as acute a politician as he was a brilliant commander, at once +demonstrated to his Government the impotence of such senile attempts. +No definite agreements could be made, he wrote, except by a general +convention. Before a treaty of peace, no permission would be given by +the States to the public exercise of the Catholic religion, for fear of +giving offence to what were called the Protestant powers. Unless they +saw the proper ratification they would enter into no negotiations at all. +When the negotiations had produced a treaty, the Catholic worship might +be demanded. Thus peace might be made, and the desired conditions +secured, or all parties would remain as they had been. + +The Spanish Government replied by sending a double form of ratification. +It would not have been the Spanish Government, had one simple, +straightforward document been sent. Plenty of letters came at the same +time, triumphantly refuting the objections and arguments of the States- +General. To sign "Yo el Rey" had been the custom of the king's ancestors +in dealing with foreign powers. Thus had Philip II. signed the treaty of +Vervins. Thus had the reigning king confirmed the treaty of Vervins. +Thus had he signed the recent treaty with England as well as other +conventions with other potentates. If the French envoys at the Hague +said the contrary they erred from ignorance or from baser reasons. The +provinces could not be declared free until Catholic worship was conceded. +The donations must be mutual and simultaneous and the States would gain a +much more stable and diuturnal liberty, founded not upon a simple +declaration, but lawfully granted them as a compensation for a just and +pious work performed. To this end the king sent ratification number one +in which his sentiments were fully expressed. If, however, the provinces +were resolved not to defer the declaration so ardently desired and to +refuse all negotiation until they had received it, then ratification +number two, therewith sent and drawn up in the required form, might be +used. It was, however, to be exhibited but not delivered. The provinces +would then see the clemency with which they were treated by the king, and +all the world might know that it was not his fault if peace were not +made. + +Thus the politicians of Madrid; speaking in the name of their august +sovereign and signing "Yo el Rey" for him without troubling him even to +look at the documents. + +When these letters arrived, the time fixed by the States for accepting +the ratification had run out, and their patience was well-nigh exhausted. +The archduke held council with Spinola, Verreyken, Richardot, and others, +and it was agreed that ratification number two, in which the Catholic +worship was not mentioned, should be forthwith sent to the States. +Certainly no other conclusion could have been reached, and it was +fortunate that a lucid interval in the deliberations of the 'lunati ceat' +Madrid had furnished the archduke with an alternative. Had it been +otherwise and had number one been presented, with all the accompanying +illustrations, the same dismal comedy might have gone on indefinitely +until the Dutchmen hissed it away and returned to their tragic business +once more. + +On the 25th October, Friar John and Verreyken came before the States- +General, more than a hundred members being present, besides Prince +Maurice and Count Lewis William. + +The monk stated that he had faithfully represented to his Majesty at +Madrid the sincere, straightforward, and undissembling proceedings of +their lordships in these negotiations. He had also explained the +constitution of their Government and had succeeded in obtaining from his +royal Majesty the desired ratification, after due deliberation with the +council. This would now give the assurance of a firm and durable peace, +continued Neyen, even if his Majesty should come one day to die--being +mortal. Otherwise, there might be inconveniences to fear. Now, however, +the document was complete in all its parts, so far as regarded what was +principal and essential, and in conformity with the form transmitted by +the States-General. "God the Omnipotent knows," proceeded the friar, +"how sincere is my intention in this treaty of peace as a means of +delivering the Netherlands from the miseries of war, as your lordships +will perceive by the form of the agreement, explaining itself and making +manifest its pure and undissembling intentions, promising nothing and +engaging to nothing which will not be effectually performed. This would +not be the case if his Majesty were proceeding by finesse or deception. +The ratification might be nakedly produced as demanded, without any other +explanation. But his Majesty, acting in good faith, has now declared his +last determination in order to avoid anything that might be disputed at +some future day, as your lordships will see more amply when the auditor +has exhibited the document." + +When the friar had finished Verreyken spoke. + +He reminded them of the proofs already given by the archdukes of their +sincere desire to change the long and sanguinary war into a good and +assured peace. Their lordships the States had seen how liberally, +sincerely, and roundly their Highnesses had agreed to all demands and had +procured the ratification of his Majesty, even although nothing had been +proposed in that regard at the beginning of the negotiations. + +He then produced the original document, together with two copies, one in +French the other in Flemish, to be carefully collated by the States. + +"It is true," said the auditor, "that the original is not made out in +Latin nor in French as your lordships demanded, but in Spanish, and in +the same form and style as used by his Majesty in treating with all the +kings, potentates, and republics of Christendom. To tell you the truth, +it has seemed strange that there should be a wish to make so great and +puissant a king change his style, such demand being contrary to all +reason and equity, and more so as his Majesty is content with the style +which your lordships have been pleased to adopt." + +The ratification was then exhibited. + +It set forth that Don Philip, by grace of God King of Castile, Leon, +Arragon, the Two Sicilies, Portugal, Navarre, and of fourteen or fifteen +other European realms duly enumerated; King of the Eastern and Western +Indies and of the continents on terra firma adjacent, King of Jerusalem, +Archduke of Antioch, Duke of Burgundy, and King of the Ocean, having seen +that the archdukes were content to treat with the States-General of the +United Provinces in quality of, and as holding them for, countries, +provinces, and free states over which they pretended to no authority; +either by way of a perpetual peace or for a truce or suspension of arms +for twelve, fifteen, or twenty years, at the choice of the said States, +and knowing that the said most serene archdukes had promised to deliver +the king's ratification; had, after ripe deliberation with his council, +and out of his certain wisdom and absolute royal power, made the present +declarations, similar to the one made by the archdukes, for the +accomplishment of the said promise so far as it concerned him: + +"And we principally declare," continued the King of Spain, Jerusalem, +America, India, and the Ocean, "that we are content that in our name, and +on our part, shall be treated with the said States in the quality of, and +as held by us for, free countries, provinces, and states, over which we +make no pretensions. Thus we approve and ratify every point of the said +agreement, promising on faith and word of a king to guard and accomplish +it as entirely as if we had consented to it from the beginning." + +"But we declare," said the king, in conclusion, "that if the treaty for a +peace or a truce of many years, by which the pretensions of both parties +are to be arranged--as well in the matter of religion as all the surplus +--shall not be concluded, then this ratification shall be of no effect +and as if it never had been made and, in virtue of it, we are not to lose +a single point of our right, nor the United Provinces to acquire one, but +things are to remain, so far as regards the rights of the two parties, +exactly as they what to each shall seem best." + +Such were the much superfluous verbiage lopped away--which had been +signed "I the King" at Madrid on the 18th September, and the two copies +of which were presented to the States-General on the 25th October, the +commissioners retaining the original. + +The papers were accepted, with a few general commonplaces by Barneveld +meaning nothing, and an answer was promised after a brief delay. + +A committee of seven, headed by the Advocate as chairman and spokesman, +held a conference with the ambassadors of France and England, at four +o'clock in the afternoon of the same day and another at ten o'clock next +morning. + +The States were not very well pleased with the ratification. What +especially moved their discontent was the concluding clause, according to +which it was intimated that if the pretensions of Spain in regard to +religion were not fulfilled in the final treaty, the ratification was +waste-paper and the king would continue to claim all his rights. + +How much more loudly would they have vociferated, could they have looked +into Friar John's wallet and have seen ratification number one! Then +they would have learned that, after nearly a year of what was called +negotiation, the king had still meant to demand the restoration of the +Catholic worship before he would even begin to entertain the little +fiction that the provinces were free. + +As to the signature, the paper, and the Spanish language, those were +minor matters. Indeed, it is difficult to say why the King of Spain +should not issue a formal document in Spanish. It is doubtful whether, +had he taken a fancy to read it, he could have understood it in any other +tongue. Moreover, Spanish would seem the natural language for Spanish +state-papers. Had he, as King of Jerusalem, America, or India, chosen +the Hebrew, Aztec, or Sanscrit, in his negotiations with the United +Provinces, there might have been more cause for dissatisfaction. + +Jeannin, who was of course the leading spirit among the foreign +members of the conference, advised the acceptance of the ratification. +Notwithstanding the technical objections to its form, he urged that in +substance it was in sufficient conformity to the draught furnished by the +States. Nothing could be worse, in his opinion, for the provinces than +to remain any longer suspended between peace and war. They would do +well, therefore, to enter upon negotiations so soon as they had agreed +among themselves upon three points. + +They must fix the great indispensable terms which they meant to hold, +and from which no arguments would ever induce them to recede. Thus they +would save valuable time and be spared much frivolous discourse. + +Next, they ought to establish a good interior government. + +Thirdly, they should at once arrange their alliances and treaties with +foreign powers, in order to render the peace to be negotiated a durable +one. + +As to the first and second of these points, the Netherlanders needed no +prompter. They had long ago settled the conditions without which they +would make no treaty at all, and certainly it was not the States-General +that had thus far been frivolously consuming time. + +As to the form of government, defective though it was, the leaders of the +republic knew very well in whose interests such sly allusions to their +domestic affairs were repeatedly ventured by the French envoys. In +regard to treaties with foreign powers it was, of course, most desirable +for the republic to obtain the formal alliance of France and England. +Jeannin and his colleagues were ready to sign such a treaty, offensive +and defensive, at once, but they found it impossible to induce the +English ambassadors, with whom there was a conference on the 26th +October, to come into any written engagement on the subject. They +expressed approbation of the plan individually and in words, but +deemed it best to avoid any protocol, by which their sovereign could +be implicated in a promise. Should the negotiations for peace be broken +off, it would be time enough to make a treaty to protect the provinces. +Meantime, they ought to content themselves with the general assurance, +already given them, that in case of war the monarchs of France and +England would not abandon them, but would provide for their safety, +either by succour or in some other way, so that they would be placed out +of danger. + +Such promises were vague without being magnificent, and, as James had +never yet lifted his finger to assist the provinces, while indulging them +frequently with oracular advice, it could hardly be expected that either +the French envoys or the States-General would reckon very confidently on +assistance from Great Britain, should war be renewed with Spain. + +On the whole, it was agreed to draw up a paper briefly stating the +opinion of the French and English plenipotentiaries that the provinces +would do well to accept the ratification. + +The committee of the States, with Barneveld as chairman, expressed +acquiescence, but urged that they could not approve the clause in that +document concerning religion. It looked as if the King of Spain wished +to force them to consent by treaty that the Catholic religion should be +re-established in their country. As they were free and sovereign, +however, and so recognised by himself, it was not for him to meddle +with such matters. They foresaw that this clause would create +difficulties when the whole matter should be referred to the separate +provinces, and that it would, perhaps, cause the entire rejection of the +ratification. + +The envoys, through the voice of Jeannin, remonstrated against such a +course. After all, the objectionable clause, it was urged, should be +considered only as a demand which the king was competent to make and it +was not reasonable, they said, for the States to shut his mouth and +prevent him from proposing what he thought good to propose. + +On the other hand, they were not obliged to acquiesce in the proposition. +In truth, it would be more expedient that the States themselves should +grant this grace to the Catholics, thus earning their gratitude, rather +than that it should be inserted in the treaty. + +A day or two later there was an interview between the French envoys and +Count Lewis William, for whose sage, dispassionate, and upright character +they had all a great respect. It was their object--in obedience to the +repeated instructions of the French king--to make use of his great +influence over Prince Maurice in favour of peace. It would be better, +they urged, that the stadholder should act more in harmony with the +States than he had done of late, and should reflect that, the +ratification being good, there was really no means of preventing a peace, +except in case the King of Spain should refuse the conditions necessary +for securing it. The prince would have more power by joining with the +States than in opposing them. Count Lewis expressed sympathy with these +views, but feared that Maurice would prefer that the ratification should +not be accepted until the states of the separate provinces had been +heard; feeling convinced that several of those bodies would reject that +instrument on account of the clause relating to religion. + +Jeannin replied that such a course would introduce great discord into +the provinces, to the profit of the enemy, and that the King of France +himself--so far from being likely to wish the ratification rejected +because of the clause--would never favour the rupture of negotiations +if it came on account of religion. He had always instructed them to use +their efforts to prevent any division among the States, as sure to lead +to their ruin. He would certainly desire the same stipulation as the one +made by the King of Spain, and would support rather than oppose the +demand thus made, in order to content the Catholics. To be sure, he +would prefer that the States should wisely make this provision of their +own accord rather than on the requisition of Spain, but a rupture of the +pending negotiations from the cause suggested would be painful to him and +very damaging to his character at Rome. + +On the 2nd November the States-General gave their formal answer to the +commissioners, in regard to the ratification. + +That instrument, they observed, not only did not agree with the form as +promised by the archdukes in language and style, but also in regard to +the seal, and to the insertion and omission of several words. On this +account, and especially by reason of the concluding clause, there might +be inferred the annulment of the solemn promise made in the body of the +instrument. The said king and archdukes knew very well that these +States-General of free countries and provinces, over which the king and +archdukes pretended to no authority, were competent to maintain order in +all things regarding the good constitution and government of their land +and its inhabitants. On this subject, nothing could be pretended or +proposed on the part of the king and archdukes without, violation of +formal and solemn promises. + +"Nevertheless," continued the States-General, "in order not to retard a +good work, already begun, for the purpose of bringing the United +Provinces out of a long and bloody war into a Christian and assured +peace, the letters of ratification will be received in respect that +they contain the declaration, on part of both the king and the archdukes, +that they will treat for a peace or a truce of many years with the +States-General of the United Provinces, in quality of, and as holding +them to be, free countries, provinces, and states, over which they make +no pretensions." + +It was further intimated, however, that the ratification was only +received for reference to the estates of each of the provinces, and it +was promised that, within six weeks, the commissioners should be informed +whether the provinces would consent or refuse to treat. It was moreover +declared that, neither at that moment nor at any future time, could any +point in the letters of ratification be accepted which, directly or +indirectly, might be interpreted as against that essential declaration +and promise in regard to the freedom of the provinces. In case the +decision should be taken to enter into negotiation upon the basis of that +ratification, or any other that might meantime arrive from Spain, then +firm confidence was expressed by the States that, neither on the part of +the king nor that of the archdukes would there be proposed or pretended, +in contravention of that promise, any point touching the good +constitution, welfare, state, or government of the United Provinces, +and of the inhabitants. The hope was furthermore expressed that, within +ten days after the reception of the consent of the States to treat, +commissioners would be sent by the archdukes to the Hague, fully +authorised and instructed to declare, roundly their intentions, in order +to make short work of the whole business. In that case, the States would +duly authorize and instruct commissioners to act in their behalf. + +Thus in the answer especial warning was given against any possible +attempt to interfere with the religious question. The phraseology could +not be mistaken. + +At this stage of the proceedings, the States demanded that the original +instrument of ratification should be deposited with them. The two +commissioners declared that they were without power to consent to this. +Hereupon the Assembly became violent, and many members denounced the +refusal as equivalent to breaking off the negotiations. Everything +indicated, so it was urged, a desire on the Spanish side to spin delays +out of delays, and, meantime, to invent daily some new trap for +deception. Such was the vehemence upon this point that the industrious +Franciscan posted back to Brussels, and returned with the archduke's +permission to deliver the document. Three conditions, however, were laid +down. The States must give a receipt for the ratification. They must +say in that receipt that the archdukes, in obtaining the paper from +Spain, had fulfilled their original promise. If peace should not be +made, they were to return the document. + +When these conditions were announced, the indignation of the republican +Government at the trifling of their opponents was fiercer than ever. The +discrepancies between the form prescribed and the ratification obtained +had always been very difficult of digestion, but, although willing to +pass them by, the States stoutly refused to accept the document on these +conditions. + +Tooth and nail Verreyken and Neyen fought out the contest and were +worsted. Once more the nimble friar sped back and forth between the +Hague and his employer's palace, and at last, after tremendous +discussions in cabinet council, the conditions were abandoned. + +"Nobody can decide," says the Jesuit historian, "which was greater--the +obstinacy of the federal Government in screwing out of the opposite party +everything it deemed necessary, or the indulgence of the archdukes in +making every possible concession." + +Had these solemn tricksters of an antiquated school perceived that, in +dealing with men who meant what they said and said what they meant, all +these little dilatory devices were superfluous, perhaps the wholesome +result might have sooner been reached. In a contest of diplomacy against +time it generally happens that time is the winner, and on this occasion, +time and the republic were fighting on the same side. + +On the 13th December the States-General re-assembled at the Hague, the +separate provinces having in the interval given fresh instructions to +their representatives. It was now decided that no treaty should be made, +unless the freedom of the commonwealth was recognized in phraseology +which, after consultation with the foreign ambassadors, should be deemed +satisfactory. Farther it was agreed that, neither in ecclesiastical nor +secular matters, should any conditions be accepted which could be +detrimental to freedom. In case the enemy should strive for the +contrary, the world would be convinced that he alone was responsible for +the failure of the peace negotiations. Then, with the support of other +powers friendly to the republic, hostilities could be resumed in such a +manner as to ensure a favourable issue for an upright cause. + +The armistice, begun on the 4th of May, was running to an end, and it was +now renewed at the instance of the States. That Government, moreover, on +the 23rd December formally notified to the archdukes that, trusting to +their declarations, and to the statements of Neyen and Verreyken, it was +willing to hold conferences for peace. Their Highnesses were accordingly +invited to appoint seven or eight commissioners at once, on the same +terms as formally indicated. + +The original understanding had been that no envoys but Netherlanders +should come from Brussels for these negotiations. + +Barneveld and the peace party, however, were desirous that Spinola, who +was known to be friendly to a pacific result, should be permitted to form +part of the mission. Accordingly the letters, publicly drawn up in the +Assembly, adhered to the original arrangement, but Barneveld, with the +privity of other leading personages, although without the knowledge of +Maurice, Lewis William, and the State-Council, secretly enclosed a little +note in the principal despatch to Neyen and Verreyken. In this billet +it was intimated that, notwithstanding the prohibition in regard to +foreigners, the States were willing--it having been proposed that one or +two who were not Netherlanders should be sent--that a single Spaniard, +provided he were not one of the principal military commanders, should +make part of the embassy. + +The phraseology had a double meaning. Spinola was certainly the chief +military commander, but he was not a Spaniard. This eminent personage +might be supposed to have thus received permission to come to the +Netherlands, despite all that had been urged by the war-party against the +danger incurred, in case of a renewal of hostilities, by admitting so +clear-sighted an enemy into the heart of the republic. Moreover, the +terms of the secret note would authorize the appointment of another +foreigner--even a Spaniard--while the crafty president Richardot might +creep into the commission, on the ground that, being a Burgundian, he +might fairly call himself a Netherlander. + +And all this happened. + +Thus, after a whole year of parley, in which the States-General had held +firmly to their original position, while the Spanish Government had crept +up inch by inch, and through countless windings and subterfuges, to the +point on which they might have all stood together at first, and thus have +saved a twelvemonth, it was finally settled that peace conferences should +begin. + +Barneveld had carried the day. Maurice and his cousin Lewis William had +uniformly, deliberately, but not factiously, used all their influence +against any negotiations. The prince had all along loudly expressed his +conviction that neither the archdukes nor Spain would ever be brought to +an honourable peace. The most to be expected of them was a truce of +twelve or fifteen years, to which his consent at least should never be +given, and during which cessation of hostilities, should it be accorded, +every imaginable effort would be made to regain by intrigue what the king +had lost by the sword. As for the King of England and his counsellors, +Maurice always denounced them as more Spanish than Spaniards, as doing +their best to put themselves on the most intimate terms with his Catholic +Majesty, and as secretly desirous--insane policy as it seemed--of forcing +the Netherlands back again under the sceptre of that monarch. + +He had at first been supported in his position by the French ambassadors, +who had felt or affected disinclination for peace, but who had +subsequently, thrown the whole of their own and their master's influence +on the side of Barneveld. They had done their best--and from time to +time they had been successful--to effect at least a superficial +reconciliation between those two influential personages. They had +employed all the arguments at their disposal to bring the prince over to +the peace party. Especially they had made use of the 'argumentum ad +crumenam,' which that veteran broker in politics, Jeannin, had found so +effective in times past with the great lords of the League. But Maurice +showed himself so proof against the golden inducements suggested by the +President that he and his king both arrived at the conclusion that there +were secret motives at work, and that Maurice was not dazzled by the +brilliant prospects held out to him by Henry, only because his eyes were +stedfastly fixed upon some unknown but splendid advantage, to be gained +through other combinations. It was naturally difficult for Henry to +imagine the possibility of a man, playing a first part in the world's +theatre, being influenced by so weak a motive as conviction. + +Lewis William too--that "grave and wise young man," as Lord Leicester +used to call him twenty years before--remained steadily on the side of +the prince. Both in private conversation and in long speeches to the +States-General, he maintained that the Spanish court was incapable of +sincere negotiations with the commonwealth, that to break faith with +heretics and rebels would always prove the foundation of its whole +policy, and that to deceive them by pretences of a truce or a treaty, and +to triumph afterwards over the results of its fraud, was to be expected +as a matter of course. + +Sooner would the face of nature be changed than the cardinal maxim of +Catholic statesmanship be abandoned. + +But the influence of the Nassaus, of the province of Zeeland, +of the clergy, and of the war-party in general, had been overbalanced by +Barneveld and the city corporations, aided by the strenuous exertions of +the French ambassadors. + +The decision of the States-General was received with sincere joy at +Brussels. The archdukes had something to hope from peace, and little but +disaster and ruin to themselves from a continuance of the war. Spinola +too was unaffectedly in favour of negotiations. He took the ground that +the foreign enemies of Spain, as well as her pretended friends, agreed in +wishing her to go on with the war, and that this ought to open her eyes +as to the expediency of peace. While there was a general satisfaction in +Europe that the steady exhaustion of her strength in this eternal contest +made her daily less and less formidable to other nations, there were on +the other hand puerile complaints at court that the conditions prescribed +by impious and insolent rebels to their sovereign were derogatory to the +dignity of monarchy. The spectacle of Spain sending ambassadors to the +Hague to treat for peace, on the basis of Netherland independence, would +be a humiliation such as had never been exhibited before. That the +haughty confederation should be allowed thus to accomplish its ends, to +trample down all resistance to its dictation, and to defy the whole world +by its insults to the Church and to the sacred principle, of monarchy, +was most galling to Spanish pride. Spinola, as a son of Italy, and not +inspired by the fervent hatred to Protestantism which was indigenous to +the other peninsula, steadily resisted those arguments. None knew better +than he the sternness of the stuff out of which that republic was made, +and he felt that now or never was the time to treat, even as, five years +before, 'jam ant nunquam' had been inscribed on his banner outside +Ostend. But he protested that his friends gave him even harder work than +his enemies had ever done, and he stoutly maintained that a peace against +which all the rivals of Spain seemed to have conspired from fear of +seeing her tranquil and disembarrassed, must be advantageous to Spain. +The genial and quick-wined Genoese could not see and hear all the secret +letters and private conversations of Henry and James and their +ambassadors, and he may be pardoned for supposing that, notwithstanding +all the crooked and incomprehensible politics of Greenwich and Paris, the +serious object of both England and France was to prolong the war. In his +most private correspondence he expressed great doubts as to a favourable +issue to the pending conferences, but avowed his determination that if +they should fail it would be from no want of earnest effort on his part +to make them succeed. It should never be said that he preferred his own +private advantage to the duty of serving the best interests of the crown. + +Meantime the India trade, which was to form the great bone of contention +in the impending conferences, had not been practically neglected of late +by the enterprising Hollanders. Peter Verhoeff, fresh from the victory +of Gibraltar, towards which he had personally so much contributed by the +splendid manner in which he had handled the AEolus after the death of +Admiral Heemskerk, was placed in command of a fleet to the East Indies, +which was to sail early in the spring. + +Admiral Matelieff, who had been cruising in those seas during the three +years past, was now on his way home. His exploits had been worthy the +growing fame of the republican navy. In the summer of 1606 he had laid +siege to the town and fortress of Malacca, constructed by the Portuguese +at the southmost extremity of the Malay peninsula. Andreas Hurtado de +Mendoza commanded the position, with a force of three thousand men, among +whom were many Indians. The King or Sultan of Johore, at the south- +eastern extremity of the peninsula, remained faithful to his Dutch +allies, and accepted the proposition of Matelieff to take part in the +hostilities now begun. The admiral's fleet consisted of eleven small +ships, with fourteen hundred men. It was not exactly a military +expedition. To the sailors of each ship were assigned certain shares of +the general profits, and as it was obvious that more money was likely to +be gained by trade with the natives, or by the capture of such stray +carracks and other, merchantmen of the enemy as were frequently to be met +in these regions, the men were not particularly eager to take part in +sieges of towns or battles with cruisers. Matelieff, however, had +sufficient influence over his comrades to inflame their zeal on this +occasion for the fame of the republic, and to induce them to give the +Indian princes and the native soldiery a lesson in Batavian warfare. + +A landing was effected on the peninsula, the sailors and guns were +disembarked, and an imposing auxiliary force, sent, according to promise, +after much delay, by the Sultan of Johore, proceeded to invest Malacca. +The ground proved wet, swampy, and impracticable for trenches, galleries, +covered ways, and all the other machinery of a regular siege. Matelieff +was not a soldier nor a naval commander by profession, but a merchant- +skipper, like so many other heroes whose achievements were to be the +permanent glory of their fatherland. He would not, however, have been a +Netherlander had he not learned something of the science which Prince +Maurice had so long been teaching, not only to his own countrymen but +to the whole world. So moveable turrets, constructed of the spice-trees +which grew in rank luxuriance all around, were filled with earth and +stones, and advanced towards the fort. Had the natives been as docile to +learn as the Hollanders were eager to teach a few easy lessons in the +military art, the doom of Andreas Hurtado de Mendoza would have been +sealed. But the great truths which those youthful pedants, Maurice and +Lewis William, had extracted twenty years before from the works of the +Emperor Leo and earlier pagans, amid the jeers of veterans, were not easy +to transplant to the Malayan peninsula. + +It soon proved that those white-turbaned, loose-garmented, supple +jointed, highly-picturesque troops of the sultan were not likely to +distinguish themselves for anything but wonderful rapidity in retreat. +Not only did they shrink from any advance towards the distant forts, but +they were incapable of abiding an attack within or behind their towers, +and, at every random shot from the enemy's works, they threw down their +arms and fled from their stations in dismay. It was obvious enough that +the conquest and subjugation of such feeble warriors by the Portuguese +and Spaniards were hardly to be considered brilliant national trophies. +They had fallen an easy prey to the first European invader. They had no +discipline, no obedience, no courage; and Matelieff soon found that to +attempt a scientific siege with such auxiliaries against a well- +constructed stone fortress, garrisoned with three thousand troops, +under an experienced Spanish soldier, was but midsummer madness. + +Fevers and horrible malaria, bred by the blazing sun of the equator out +of those pestilential jungles, poisoned the atmosphere. His handful of +troops, amounting to not much more than a hundred men to each of his +ships, might melt away before his eyes. Nevertheless, although it was +impossible for him to carry the place by regular approach, he would not +abandon the hope of reducing it by famine. During four months long, +accordingly, he kept every avenue by land or sea securely invested. In +August, however, the Spanish viceroy of India, Don Alphonso de Castro, +made his appearance on the scene. Coming from Goa with a splendid fleet, +numbering fourteen great galleons, four galleys, and sixteen smaller +vessels, manned by three thousand seven hundred Portuguese and other +Europeans, and an equal number of native troops, he had at first directed +his course towards Atchen, on the north-west point of Sumatra. Here, +with the magnificent arrogance which Spanish and Portuguese viceroys were +accustomed to manifest towards the natives of either India, he summoned +the king to surrender his strongholds, to assist in constructing a +fortress for the use of his conquerors, to deliver up all the +Netherlanders within his domains, and to pay the expenses of the +expedition which had thus been sent to chastise him. But the King of +Atchen had not sent ambassadors into the camp of Prince Maurice before +the city of Grave in vain. He had learned that there were other white +skins besides the Spaniards at the antipodes, and that the republic whose +achievements in arts and arms were conspicuous trophies of Western +civilization, was not, as it had been represented to him, a mere nest of +pirates. He had learned to prefer an alliance with Holland to slavery +under Spain. Moreover, he had Dutch engineers and architects in his +service, and a well-constructed system of Dutch fortifications around his +capital. To the summons to surrender himself and his allies he returned +a defiant answer. The viceroy ordered an attack upon the city. One fort +was taken. From before the next he was repulsed with great loss. The +Sumatrans had derived more profit from intercourse with Europeans than +the inhabitants of Johore or the Moluccas had done. De Castro abandoned +the siege. He had received intelligence of the dangerous situation of +Malacca, and moved down upon the place with his whole fleet. Admiral +Matelieff, apprised by scouts of his approach, behaved with the readiness +and coolness of a veteran campaigner. Before De Castro could arrive in +the roadstead of Malacca, he had withdrawn all his troops from their +positions, got all his artillery reshipped, and was standing out in the +straits, awaiting the enemy. + +On the 17th August, the two fleets, so vastly disproportionate in number, +size, equipment, and military force--eighteen galleons and galleys, with +four or five thousand fighting men, against eleven small vessels and +twelve or fourteen hundred sailors--met in that narrow sea. The action +lasted all day. It was neither spirited nor sanguinary. It ought to +have been within the power of the Spaniard to crush his diminutive +adversary. It might have seemed a sufficient triumph for Matelieff to +manoeuvre himself out of harm's way. No vessel on either side was +boarded, not one surrendered, but two on each side were set on fire and +destroyed. Eight of the Dutchmen were killed--not a very sanguinary +result after a day's encounter with so imposing an armada. De Castro's +losses were much greater, but still the battle was an insignificant one, +and neither fleet gained a victory. Night put an end to the cannonading, +and the Spaniards withdrew to Malacca, while Matelieff bore away to +Johore. The siege of Malacca was relieved, and the Netherlanders now +occupied themselves with the defence of the feeble sovereign at the other +point of the peninsula. + +Matelieff lay at Johore a month, repairing damages and laying in +supplies. While still at the place, he received information that a large +part of the Spanish armada had sailed from Malacca. Several of his own +crew, who had lost their shares in the adventure by the burning of the +ships to which they belonged in the action of 17th August, were reluctant +and almost mutinous when their admiral now proposed to them a sudden +assault on the portion of the Spanish fleet still remaining within reach. +They had not come forth for barren glory, many protested, but in search +of fortune; they were not elated by the meagre result of the expedition. +Matelieff succeeded, however, at last in inspiring all the men of his +command with an enthusiasm superior to sordid appeals, and made a few +malcontents. On the 21st September, he sailed to Malacca, and late in +the afternoon again attacked the Spaniards. Their fleet consisted of +seven great galleons and three galleys lying in a circle before the town. +The outermost ship, called the St. Nicholas, was boarded by men from +three of the Dutch galleots with sudden and irresistible fury. There was +a brief but most terrible action, the Netherlanders seeming endowed with +superhuman vigour. So great was the panic that there was hardly an +effort at defence, and within less than an hour nearly every Spaniard on +board the St. Nicholas had been put to the sword. The rest of the armada +engaged the Dutch fleet with spirit, but one of the great galleons was +soon set on fire and burned to the water's edge. Another, dismasted and +crippled, struck her flag, and all that remained would probably have been +surrendered or destroyed had not the sudden darkness of a tropical +nightfall put an end to the combat at set of sun. Next morning another +galleon, in a shattered and sinking condition, was taken possession of +and found filled with dead and dying. The rest of the Spanish ships made +their escape into the harbour of Malacca. Matelieff stood off and on in +the straits for a day or two, hesitating for fear of shallows to follow +into the roadstead. Before he could take a decision, he had the +satisfaction of seeing the enemy, panic-struck, save him any further +trouble. Not waiting for another attack, the Spaniards set fire to every +one of their ships, and retired into their fortress, while Matelieff and +his men enjoyed the great conflagration as idle spectators. Thus the +enterprising Dutch admiral had destroyed ten great war-ships of the +enemy, and, strange to relate, had scarcely lost one man of his whole +squadron. Rarely had a more complete triumph been achieved on the water +than in this battle in the straits of Malacca. Matelieff had gained much +glory but very little booty. He was also encumbered with a great number +of prisoners. + +These he sent to Don Alphonso, exchanging them for a very few +Netherlanders then in Spanish hands, at the rate of two hundred Spaniards +for ten Dutchmen--thus showing that he held either the enemy very cheap, +or his own countrymen very dear. The captured ships he burned as useless +to him, but retained twenty-four pieces of artillery. + +It was known to Matelieff that the Spanish viceroy had received +instructions to inflict chastisement on all the oriental potentates and +their subjects who had presumed of late to trade and to form alliances +with the Netherlanders. Johore, Achem, Paham, Patane, Amboyna, and +Bantam, were the most probable points of attack. Johore had now been +effectually defended, Achem had protected itself. The Dutch fleet +proceeded at first to Bantams for refreshment, and from this point +Matelieff sent three of his ships back to Holland. With the six +remaining to him, he sailed for the Moluccas, having heard of various +changes which had taken place in that important archipelago. Pausing at +the great emporium of nutmegs and all-spice, Amboyna, he took measures +for strengthening the fortifications of the place, which was well +governed by Frederick Houtman, and then proceeded to Ternate and Tidor. + +During the absence of the Netherlanders, after the events on those +islands recorded in a previous chapter, the Spaniards had swept down upon +them from the Philippines with a fleet of thirty-seven ships, and had +taken captive the Sultan of Ternate; while the potentate of Tidor, who +had been left by Stephen van der Hagen in possession of his territories +on condition of fidelity to the Dutch, was easily induced to throw aside +the mask, and to renew his servitude to Spain. Thus both the coveted +clove-islands had relapsed into the control of the enemy. Matelieff +found it dangerous, on account of quicksands and shallows, to land on +Tydore, but he took very energetic measures to recover possession of +Ternate. On the southern side of the island, the Spaniards had built a +fort and a town. The Dutch admiral disembarked upon the northern side, +and, with assistance of the natives, succeeded in throwing up substantial +fortifications at a village called Malaya. The son of the former sultan, +who was a Spanish prisoner at the Philippines, was now formally inducted +into his father's sovereignty, and Matelieff established at Malaya for +his protection a garrison of forty-five Hollanders and a navy of four +small yachts. Such were the slender means with which Oriental empires +were founded in those days by the stout-hearted adventurers of the little +Batavian republic. + +With this miniature army and navy, and by means of his alliance with the +distant commonwealth, of whose power this handful of men was a symbol, +the King of Ternate was thenceforth to hold his own against the rival +potentate on the other island, supported by the Spanish king. The same +convention of commerce and amity was made with the Ternatians as the one +which Stephen van der Hagen had formerly concluded with the Bandians; and +it was agreed that the potentate should be included in any treaty of +peace that might be made between the republic and Spain. + +Matelieff, with three ships and a cutter, now sailed for China, but lost +his time in endeavouring to open trade with the Celestial empire. The +dilatory mandarins drove him at last out of all patience, and, on turning +his prows once more southward, he had nearly brought his long expedition +to a disastrous termination. Six well-armed, well-equipped Portuguese +galleons sailed out of Macao to assail him. It was not Matelieff's +instinct to turn his back on a foe, however formidable, but on this +occasion discretion conquered instinct. His three ships were out of +repair; he had a deficiency of powder; he was in every respect unprepared +for a combat; and he reflected upon the unfavourable impression which +would be made on the Chinese mind should the Hollanders, upon their first +appearance in the flowery regions, be vanquished by the Portuguese. He +avoided an encounter, therefore, and, by skilful seamanship, eluded all +attempts of the foe at pursuit. Returning to Ternate, he had the +satisfaction to find that during his absence the doughty little garrison +of Malaya had triumphantly defeated the Spaniards in an assault on the +fortifications of the little town. On the other hand, the King of +Johore, panic-struck on the departure of his Dutch protectors, had burned +his own capital, and had betaken himself with all his court into the +jungle. + +Commending the one and rebuking the other potentate, the admiral provided +assistance for both, some Dutch trading, vessels having meantime arrived +in the archipelago. Matelieff now set sail for Holland, taking with him +some ambassadors from the King of Siam and five ships well laden with +spice. On his return he read a report of his adventures to the States- +General, and received the warm commendations of their High Mightinesses. +Before his departure from the tropics, Paul van Kaarden, with eight war- +ships, had reached Bantam. On his arrival in Holland the fleet of Peter +ver Hoef was busily fitting out for another great expedition to the East. +This was the nation which Spanish courtiers thought to exclude for ever +from commerce with India and America, because the Pope a century before +had divided half the globe between Ferdinand the Catholic and Emmanuel +the Fortunate. + +It may be supposed that the results of Matelieff's voyage were likely to +influence the pending negotiations for peace. + + + +ETEXT EDITOR'S BOOKMARKS: + +A sovereign remedy for the disease of liberty +All the ministers and great functionaries received presents +Because he had been successful (hated) +But the habit of dissimulation was inveterate +By turns, we all govern and are governed +Contempt for treaties however solemnly ratified +Despised those who were grateful +Idiotic principle of sumptuary legislation +Indulging them frequently with oracular advice +Justified themselves in a solemn consumption of time +Man who cannot dissemble is unfit to reign +Men fought as if war was the normal condition of humanity +Men who meant what they said and said what they meant +Negotiated as if they were all immortal +Philip of Macedon, who considered no city impregnable +To negotiate was to bribe right and left, and at every step +Unwise impatience for peace + + + + + +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1607(b) *** + +************ This file should be named 4880.txt or 4880.zip ************ + +This eBook was produced by David Widger + +Project Gutenberg eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the US +unless a copyright notice is included. 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