History of the United Netherlands, 1608b

History of the United
Netherlands, 1608b

The Project Gutenberg EBook History of The United Netherlands,
1608(b)
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Title: History of the United Netherlands, 1608(b)
Author: John Lothrop Motley
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4882] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 15,
2002]

Edition: 10
Language: English
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*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY
UNITED NETHERLANDS, 1608(b) ***

This eBook was produced by David Widger

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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. 82
History of the United Netherlands, 1608

CHAPTER LI
.
Designs of Henry IV.--New marriage project between France and Spain
Formal proposition of negotiating for a truce between the States and
Spain--Exertions of Prince Maurice to counteract the designs of
Barneveld--Strife between the two parties in the republic--Animosity of
the people against Barneveld--Return of the Spanish
commissioners--Further trifling--Dismissal of the commissioners--
Close of the negotiations--Accidental discovery of the secret
instructions of the archdukes to the commissioners--Opposing factions
in the republic--Oration of President Jeannin before the

States-General--Comparison between the Dutch and Swiss republics--
Calumnies against the Advocate--Ambassador Lambert in France--
Henry's letter to Prince Maurice--Reconciliation of Maurice and
Barneveld--Agreement of the States to accept a truce.
President Jeannin had long been prepared for this result. It was also by
no means distasteful to him. A peace would not have accorded with the
ulterior and secretly cherished schemes of his sovereign, and during his
visit to Paris, he had succeeded in persuading Henry that a truce would
be far the most advantageous solution of the question, so far as his
interests were concerned.
For it had been precisely during that midsummer vacation of the
President at Paris that Henry had completed his plot against the liberty
of the republic, of which he professed himself the only friend. Another
phase of Spanish marriage-making had excited his ever scheming and
insidious brain. It had been proposed that the second son of the Spanish
king should espouse one of Henry's daughters.
The papal Nuncius asked what benefit the King of Spain would receive
for his share, in case of the marriage. The French king replied by
plainly declaring to the Nuncius that the United States should abstain
from and renounce all navigation to and commerce with the Indies, and
should permit public exercise of the Catholic religion. If they refused,
would incontinently abandon them to their fate. More than this, he said,
could not honestly be expected of him.
Surely this was enough. Honestly or dishonestly, what more could
Spain expect of the republic's best ally, than that he should use all his
efforts to bring her back into Spanish subjection, should deprive her of
commerce with three-quarters of the world, and compel her to
re-establish the religion which she believed, at that period, to be
incompatible with her constitutional liberties? It is difficult to imagine
a more profligate or heartless course than the one pursued at this
juncture by Henry. Secretly, he was intriguing, upon the very soil of the
Netherlands, to filch from them that splendid commerce which was the
wonder of the age, which had been invented and created by Dutch
navigators and men of science, which was the very foundation of their
State, and without which they could not exist, in order that he might
appropriate it to himself, and transfer the East India Company to France;
while at Paris he was solemnly engaging himself in a partnership with

their ancient and deadly enemy to rob them of their precious and nobly