The Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, 1609-14 | Page 7

we have seen, continued to be the Dutch
ambassador after the murder of Henry IV. Many of the preceding pages
of this volume have been occupied with his opinions, his pictures, his
conversations, and his political intrigues during a memorable epoch in
the history of the Netherlands and of France. He was beyond all doubt
one of the ablest diplomatists in Europe. Versed in many languages, a
classical student, familiar with history and international law, a man of
the world and familiar with its usages, accustomed to associate with
dignity and tact on friendliest terms with sovereigns, eminent statesmen,
and men of letters; endowed with a facile tongue, a fluent pen, and an
eye and ear of singular acuteness and delicacy; distinguished for
unflagging industry and singular aptitude for secret and intricate
affairs;--he had by the exercise of these various qualities during a
period of nearly twenty years at the court of Henry the Great been able
to render inestimable services to the Republic which he represented. Of
respectable but not distinguished lineage, not a Hollander, but a
Belgian by birth, son of Cornelis Aerssens, Grefter of the
States-General, long employed in that important post, he had been
brought forward from a youth by Barneveld and early placed by him in
the diplomatic career, of which through his favour and his own eminent
talents he had now achieved the highest honours.
He had enjoyed the intimacy and even the confidence of Henry IV., so
far as any man could be said to possess that monarch's confidence, and
his friendly relations and familiar access to the King gave him political
advantages superior to those of any of his colleagues at the same court.
Acting entirely and faithfully according to the instructions of the
Advocate of Holland, he always gratefully and copiously
acknowledged the privilege of being guided and sustained in the
difficult paths he had to traverse by so powerful and active an intellect.
I have seldom alluded in terms to the instructions and despatches of the
chief, but every position, negotiation, and opinion of the envoy--and
the reader has seen many of them--is pervaded by their spirit. Certainly
the correspondence of Aerssens is full to overflowing of gratitude,

respect, fervent attachment to the person and exalted appreciation of the
intellect and high character of the Advocate.
There can be no question of Aerssen's consummate abilities. Whether
his heart were as sound as his head, whether his protestations of
devotion had the ring of true gold or not, time would show. Hitherto
Barneveld had not doubted him, nor had he found cause to murmur at
Barneveld.
But the France of Henry IV., where the Dutch envoy was so
all-powerful, had ceased to exist. A duller eye than that of Aerssens
could have seen at a glance that the potent kingdom and firm ally of the
Republic had been converted, for a long time to come at least, into a
Spanish province. The double Spanish marriages (that of the young
Louis XIII. with the Infanta Anna, and of his sister with the Infante,
one day to be Philip IV.), were now certain, for it was to make them
certain that the knife of Ravaillac had been employed. The condition
precedent to those marriages had long been known. It was the
renunciation of the alliance between France and Holland. It was the
condemnation to death, so far as France had the power to condemn her
to death, of the young Republic. Had not Don Pedro de Toledo
pompously announced this condition a year and a half before? Had not
Henry spurned the bribe with scorn? And now had not Francis Aerssens
been the first to communicate to his masters the fruit which had already
ripened upon Henry's grave? As we have seen, he had revealed these
intrigues long before they were known to the world, and the French
court knew that he had revealed them. His position had become
untenable. His friendship for Henry could not be of use to him with the
delicate-featured, double-chinned, smooth and sluggish Florentine, who
had passively authorized and actively profited by her husband's murder.
It was time for the Envoy to be gone. The Queen-Regent and Concini
thought so. And so did Villeroy and Sillery and the rest of the old
servants of the King, now become pensionaries of Spain. But Aerssens
did not think so. He liked his position, changed as it was. He was deep
in the plottings of Bouillon and Conde and the other malcontents
against the Queen-Regent. These schemes, being entirely personal, the
rank growth of the corruption and apparent disintegration of France,
were perpetually changing, and could be reduced to no principle. It was
a mere struggle of the great lords of France to wrest places, money,

governments, military commands from the Queen-Regent, and