The Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, 1613-15

Life of John of Barneveld,
1613-15

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Title: The Life of John of Barneveld, 1613-15
Author: John Lothrop Motley
Release Date: January, 2004 [EBook #4891] [Yes, we are more than
one year ahead of schedule] [This file was first posted on April 22,
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THE LIFE AND DEATH of JOHN OF BARNEVELD, ADVOCATE
OF HOLLAND
WITH A VIEW OF THE PRIMARY CAUSES AND MOVEMENTS
OF THE THIRTY YEARS' WAR
By John Lothrop Motley, D.C.L., LL.D.

MOTLEY'S HISTORY OF THE NETHERLANDS, Project Gutenberg
Edition, Volume 91
Life of John of Barneveld, 1613-15

CHAPTER IX
.
Aerssens remains Two Years longer in France--Derives many Personal
Advantages from his Post--He visits the States-General--Aubery du
Maurier appointed French Ambassador--He demands the Recall of
Aerssens--Peace of Sainte-Menehould--Asperen de Langerac appointed
in Aerssens' Place.
Francis Aerssens had remained longer at his post than had been
intended by the resolution of the States of Holland, passed in May
1611.

It is an exemplification of the very loose constitutional framework of
the United Provinces that the nomination of the ambassador to France
belonged to the States of Holland, by whom his salary was paid,
although, of course, he was the servant of the States-General, to whom
his public and official correspondence was addressed. His most
important despatches were however written directly to Barneveld so
long as he remained in power, who had also the charge of the whole
correspondence, public or private, with all the envoys of the States.
Aerssens had, it will be remembered, been authorized to stay one year
longer in France if he thought he could be useful there. He stayed two
years, and on the whole was not useful. He had too many eyes and too
many ears. He had become mischievous by the very activity of his
intelligence. He was too zealous. There were occasions in France at that
moment in which it was as well to be blind and deaf. It was impossible
for the Republic, unless driven to it by dire necessity, to quarrel with its
great ally. It had been calculated by Duplessis-Mornay that France had
paid subsidies to the Provinces amounting from first to last to 200
millions of livres. This was an enormous exaggeration. It was
Barneveld's estimate that before the truce the States had received from
France eleven millions of florins in cash, and during the truce up to the
year 1613, 3,600,000 in addition, besides a million still due, making a
total of about fifteen millions. During the truce France kept two
regiments of foot amounting to 4200 soldiers and two companies of
cavalry in Holland at the service of the States, for which she was bound
to pay yearly 600,000 livres. And the Queen-Regent had continued all
the treaties by which these arrangements were secured, and professed
sincere and continuous friendship for the States. While the
French-Spanish marriages gave cause for suspicion, uneasiness, and
constant watchfulness in the States, still the neutrality of France was
possible in the coming storm. So long as that existed, particularly when
the relations of England with Holland through the unfortunate character
of King James were perpetually strained to a point of imminent rupture,
it was necessary to hold as long as it vas possible to the slippery
embrace of France.
But Aerssens was almost aggressive in his attitude. He rebuked the
vacillations, the shortcomings, the imbecility, of the Queen's
government in offensive terms. He consorted openly with the princes

who