The Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, 1609-14 | Page 8

frantic
attempts on her part to save as much as possible of the general wreck
for her lord and master Concini.
It was ridiculous to ascribe any intense desire on the part of the Duc de
Bouillon to aid the Protestant cause against Spain at that moment,
acting as he was in combination with Conde, whom we have just seen
employed by Spain as the chief instrument to effect the destruction of
France and the bastardy of the Queen's children. Nor did the sincere
and devout Protestants who had clung to the cause through good and
bad report, men like Duplessis-Mornay, for example, and those who
usually acted with him, believe in any of these schemes for partitioning
France on pretence of saving Protestantism. But Bouillon, greatest of
all French fishermen in troubled waters, was brother-in-law of Prince
Maurice of Nassau, and Aerssens instinctively felt that the time had
come when he should anchor himself to firm holding ground at home.
The Ambassador had also a personal grievance. Many of his most
secret despatches to the States-General in which he expressed himself
very freely, forcibly, and accurately on the general situation in France,
especially in regard to the Spanish marriages and the Treaty of
Hampton Court, had been transcribed at the Hague and copies of them
sent to the French government. No baser act of treachery to an envoy
could be imagined. It was not surprising that Aerssens complained
bitterly of the deed. He secretly suspected Barneveld, but with injustice,
of having played him this evil turn, and the incident first planted the
seeds of the deadly hatred which was to bear such fatal fruit.
"A notable treason has been played upon me," he wrote to Jacques de
Maldere, "which has outraged my heart. All the despatches which I
have been sending for several months to M. de Barneveld have been
communicated by copy in whole or in extracts to this court. Villeroy
quoted from them at our interview to-day, and I was left as it were
without power of reply. The despatches were long, solid, omitting no
particularity for giving means to form the best judgment of the designs
and intrigues of this court. No greater damage could be done to me and
my usefulness. All those from whom I have hitherto derived
information, princes and great personages, will shut themselves up
from me . . . . What can be more ticklish than to pass judgment on the
tricks of those who are governing this state? This single blow has

knocked me down completely. For I was moving about among all of
them, making my profit of all, without any reserve. M. de Barneveld
knew by this means the condition of this kingdom as well as I do.
Certainly in a well-ordered republic it would cost the life of a man who
had thus trifled with the reputation of an ambassador. I believe M. de
Barneveld will be sorry, but this will never restore to me the confidence
which I have lost. If one was jealous of my position at this court,
certainly I deserved rather pity from those who should contemplate it
closely. If one wished to procure my downfall in order to raise oneself
above me, there was no need of these tricks. I have been offering to
resign my embassy this long time, which will now produce nothing but
thorns for me. How can I negotiate after my private despatches have
been read? L'Hoste, the clerk of Villeroy, was not so great a criminal as
the man who revealed my despatches; and L'Hoste was torn by four
horses after his death. Four months long I have been complaining of
this to M. de Barneveld. . . . Patience! I am groaning without being able
to hope for justice. I console myself, for my term of office will soon
arrive. Would that my embassy could have finished under the agreeable
and friendly circumstances with which it began. The man who may
succeed me will not find that this vile trick will help him much . . . .
Pray find out whence and from whom this intrigue has come."
Certainly an envoy's position could hardly be more utterly
compromised. Most unquestionably Aerssens had reason to be
indignant, believing as he did that his conscientious efforts in the
service of his government had been made use of by his chief to
undermine his credit and blast his character. There was an intrigue
between the newly appointed French minister, de Russy, at the Hague
and the enemies of Aerssens to represent him to his own government as
mischievous, passionate, unreasonably vehement in supporting the
claims and dignity of his own country at the court to which he was
accredited. Not often in diplomatic history has an ambassador of a