The Life and Death of John of Barneveld, Advocate of Holland, 1614-17 | Page 3

do his best to assist in bringing about cordial

relations, if that were possible, between the crown and the rebels, and
meantime he was especially directed to defend du Maurier against the
calumnious accusations brought against him, of which Aerssens had
been the secret sower.
"You will do your best to manage," he said, "that no special
ambassador be sent hither, and that M. du Maurier may remain with us,
he being a very intelligent and moderate person now well instructed as
to the state of our affairs, a professor of the Reformed religion, and
having many other good qualities serviceable to their Majesties and to
us.
"You will visit the Prince, and other princes and officers of the crown
who are coming to court again, and do all good offices as well for the
court as for M. du Maurier, in order that through evil plots and
slanderous reports no harm may come to him.
"Take great pains to find out all you can there as to the designs of the
King of Spain, the Archdukes, and the Emperor, in the affair of Julich.
You are also to let it be known that the change of religion on the part of
the Prince-Palatine of Neuburg will not change our good will and
affection for him, so far as his legal claims are concerned."
So long as it was possible for the States to retain their hold on both the
claimants, the Advocate, pursuant to his uniform policy of moderation,
was not disposed to help throw the Palatine into the hands of the
Spanish party. He was well aware, however, that Neuburg by his
marriage and his conversion was inevitably to become the instrument
of the League and to be made use of in the duchies at its pleasure, and
that he especially would be the first to submit with docility to the
decree of the Emperor. The right to issue such decree the States under
guidance of Barneveld were resolved to resist at all hazards.
"Work diligently, nevertheless," said he, "that they permit nothing there
directly or indirectly that may tend to the furtherance of the League, as
too prejudicial to us and to all our fellow religionists. Tell them too that
the late king, the King of Great Britain, the united electors and princes
of Germany, and ourselves, have always been resolutely opposed to
making the dispute about the succession in the duchies depend on the
will of the Emperor and his court. All our movements in the year 1610
against the attempted sequestration under Leopold were to carry out
that purpose. Hold it for certain that our present proceedings for

strengthening and maintaining the city and fortress of Julich are
considered serviceable and indispensable by the British king and the
German electors and princes. Use your best efforts to induce the French
government to pursue the same policy--if it be not possible openly, then
at least secretly. My conviction is that, unless the Prince-Palatine is
supported by, and his whole designs founded upon, the general league
against all our brethren of the religion, affairs may be appeased."
The Envoy was likewise instructed to do his best to further the
matrimonial alliance which had begun to be discussed between the
Prince of Wales and the second daughter of France. Had it been
possible at that moment to bring the insane dream of James for a
Spanish alliance to naught, the States would have breathed more freely.
He was also to urge payment of the money for the French regiments,
always in arrears since Henry's death and Sully's dismissal, and always
supplied by the exchequer of Holland. He was informed that the
Republic had been sending some war ships to the Levant, to watch the
armada recently sent thither by Spain, and other armed vessels into the
Baltic, to pursue the corsairs with whom every sea was infested. In one
year alone he estimated the loss to Dutch merchants by these pirates at
800,000 florins. "We have just captured two of the rovers, but the
rascally scum is increasing," he said.
Again alluding to the resistance to be made by the States to the
Imperial pretensions, he observed, "The Emperor is about sending us a
herald in the Julich matter, but we know how to stand up to him."
And notwithstanding the bare possibility which he had admitted, that
the Prince of Neuburg might not yet have wholly sold himself, body
and soul, to the Papists, he gave warning a day or two afterwards in
France that all should be prepared for the worst.
"The Archdukes and the Prince of Neuburg appear to be taking the war
earnestly in hand," he said. "We believe that the Papistical League is
about to make a great effort against all the co-religionists. We are